AN: Hello, lovelies! Welcome to the next installment of O & D! I know it's been awhile, because ADULTING. So overrated. But I THINK you'll find this chapter was well worth the wait xD I'm pretty proud of how it turned out, and I'm hoping you'll be squeeeeeeeing by the end.

A huge, HUGE thank you to my darling bae-ta FloraOne for her constant encouragement and ideas and friendship and EVERYTHING. You are the ying to my yang, love, and I couldn't do it without you!

I hope you enjoy this installment, and PLEASE let me know what you think!

oOo

It was unbecoming of a prince to have his stomach make such loud and gurgly noises, especially when there was a vast and fully stocked kitchen available to him whenever he wanted.

And that was where Endymion was headed, exhausted and hungry from his rigorous sword training.

The head chefs, a husband and wife, Ichirou and Mayako, had become like surrogate parents to him in many ways. They had been at the palace for as long as he could remember. Always looking after him after the queen had died, or when his father was away. Always making sure they had his favorite foods ready for him, when he came by to visit on a near daily basis.

But he hadn't been able to visit nearly as often in recent years, as his schedule had become much less his own. And of course, there was the fact that Beryl hadn't been particularly fond of his open familiarity with the staff.

When he neared the door to the kitchens on this particular day, Endymion was surprised to hear three voices inside. All three of which were familiar to him, but the one, a woman, whose laugh sounded like a tinkle of bells, caught him completely off guard.

And when he slowly opened the heavy, wooden door, he was greeted with the sight of Ichirou, cooking over the hot fires of the stove, and Mayako cutting vegetables at the large island in the middle of the room. But his eyes soon found what they were looking for, when he saw Serenity, seated on a stool, her dress skirts falling fluidly around her, as she took bites of what appeared to be a large piece of chocolate.

"Endymion!" Mayako was the first to greet him. "Come in dear! We were just catching up with Serenity," she said warmly.

Endymion smiled at her, and then looked over towards his wife. "Catching up?"

Serenity blushed and gave him a shy smile. "Yes. I was wandering the castle some weeks ago, and I happened upon the kitchen. Ichirou and Mayako have been so kind to me, and have tolerated my frequent visits ever since then."

Ichirou scoffed at Serenity's self-deprecation. "Oh, nonsense, child! You're always welcome here," he said, turning around from his place at the stove.

The princess giggled, and took another bite of her treat, and Endymion found himself staring at her openly.

She looked beautiful in her sky blue dress that only served to highlight the blue in her eyes even more. Her cheeks were flushed from the warmth in the kitchen, and her expressions were so animated, Endymion couldn't help but feel drawn to her.

"Endymion?" Mayako's voice filtered into his mind.

He shook his head, tearing his gaze away from Serenity, and feeling a bright blush on his face from being caught openly staring. And then he remembered Mayako was speaking to him.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Mayako looked at him with a knowing smile, which made him blush an even brighter shade of red, and repeated the question he had apparently missed before. "Well, don't just stand around. You can make yourself useful to me and help knead that dough, won't you?"

Endymion chuckled at her forwardness. It was one of the things he loved about the middle-aged couple who kept the entire castle fed. They treated him as if he were anyone else. Loved him as if he were their own.

"You're going to make me work for my food, today, are you?" he teased back, winking at her.

Mayako narrowed her eyes playfully. "Don't try those charms on me, young man. They're no good in this kitchen."

Serenity giggled again, and Endymion turned his attention back to her, as he rolled up his sleeves, and moved towards the dough Mayako had pointed out to him.

He looked expectantly at his wife, raising an eyebrow at her.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" she questioned with mock indignation.

"Well, aren't you going to help me?" he asked gesturing towards the flour and dough.

Endymion expected her to turn her nose up at the notion of helping with such a menial task, but he was surprised when she hopped right down off her stool and came to stand by him, looking at him as if waiting for instructions.

"Ren, you really don't have to help. I was only teasing," he said, hoping to keep from upsetting her.

But instead, she smiled brightly at him. "No, I want to help!" she said with conviction. But her eyes fell slightly, before she quietly added, "But you'll have to show me, because I'm not sure what to do."

"Never spent much time in a kitchen, have you?"

She laughed nervously. "Oh, no, it's not that," she rushed out. "It's just that when I tried to help, it always seemed to end in a disaster of 'epic' proportions. At least that's what our cook on the moon said. I was banned from entering the kitchen years ago."

He couldn't help the laugh that escaped him at the thought of this beautiful, elegant creature ever causing such a raucous.

"Alright, come here, then," he said, reaching his hand out to her.

Serenity took the offering, and Endymion moved her gently to stand in front of him, so that her back was pressed against his chest.

He placed his head near the crook of her shoulder, so that his mouth was right next to her ear. Taking her hands into his, he reached them into the bowl of flour.

"First, you'll want to spread some flour out, so that the dough doesn't stick to the counter," he told her, enjoying the slight shiver that ran through her as his breath tickled her ear.

"And then, we'll work on the dough," Endymion continued, taking the mixture from its bowl, and lying it in front of them.

He laced their fingers together, and began to press them into the dough, using the heels of their hands to move and mold the gooey substance.

"We have to do this, you see, so that the bread will be able to rise," he breathed out, finding it difficult to not become completely caught up in the feel of their hands moving together, of her back pressed against him, or her soft hair brushing against his cheek.

Endymion felt her suck in a breath, as he leaned further forward seeking to feel more of her.

"And if the bread didn't rise...that would be bad?" Serenity asked, moving her head to the side to look back at him.

Their eyes locked together, blue crashing with blue, and it was his turn to take a deep breath, completely caught off guard by the intensity of the feelings flowing through him.

"Yes," he managed to choke out, "very...very bad."

Before he could even begin to complete a rational thought, his gaze fell to her lips. They were full and appeared to be so soft and smooth. And he felt himself being drawn towards them, his head inching closer.

And he was surprised to find that he wasn't the only one being drawn closer. Serenity herself was moving slowly towards him, her eyes fluttering closed in anticipation of the inevitable meeting of their lips.

But in a split second, reality came crashing in, as a noisy clanging of pots could be heard hitting the ground.

Serenity sprang away from him at the sound, as if she had somehow been burned by his touch. She stood, chest heaving up and down, as she took in deep breaths.

When her eyes fell on the door, her escape path obvious, she bolted before Endymion could even begin to process her movements.

"Ren! Wait!" he called after her, but the door slammed shut, and she was gone.

He looked around, a bewildered expression on his face, and he noticed Ichirou staring at the door, as well.

Ichirou looked at him, and slowly shrugged his shoulders, apparently just as confused by Serenity's actions as Endymion was. He came up behind the prince, clapping him on the back in understanding, and speaking in what Endymion supposed was meant to be a comforting tone.

"Women. Complicated things aren't they?"

oOo

Endymion laid in his large bed, listening to the pitter patter of the rain against the windows.

It was a soothing sound. One he'd come to love. Rain meant the Earth was alive. Meant that he was alive.

But this particular rain did little to comfort him.

The prince was restless. Had been for nearly two days now, all because of the enigma that was his wife.

He was certain Serenity had felt the electricity between them in the kitchen. Certain that her heart had been pounding just as fast and loudly as his.

But since that moment, the only thing Endymion was certain of, was the fact that she was most definitely avoiding him.

Serenity had missed their walk for the past two days, having scheduled meetings both days during that exact time slot. Before their encounter in the kitchen, she had always made sure that nothing would interrupt that time, as did he, but that silent truce between them was apparently gone.

She had even managed to miss their nightly rendezvous, that night, for when Endymion entered her room, as he so often did, she was already fast asleep.

Taking a moment to gaze at her, Endymion knew he'd never seen anything quite as adorable before. Serenity looked like a tiny cherub when she slept, all blonde, rosey cheeks and innocence, and he didn't have the heart to wake her, especially when it became apparent that she'd fallen asleep waiting for him, as she was asleep on top of the covers.

He sighed, turning onto his back, the door that connected his and Serenity's room loomed large only a few feet away.

Knowing that she was there, knowing just how close she was, and that still, she was always just out of reach, drove him to the edges of sanity on more than one occasion.

Coupled with the fact that he'd realized early that evening, whilst pacing the room, trying to clear his thoughts, that he hadn't thought of Beryl in days.

And that fact didn't anger him, like he knew it once would have, but instead, only served to confuse things even further.

Why wasn't he bothered about not thinking of Beryl? Why did it matter that Serenity was avoiding him? And what in heaven's name had happened between them in that damned kitchen?

He was completely lost in thought, when the room was illuminated in a bright light, followed by a nearly deafening crash of thunder.

This, in and of itself, wasn't unusual obviously. But an unearthly scream that hung in the air certainly was.

Endymion shot straight up at the sound. He thought that he'd, perhaps, imagined the scream, but as he strained his ears to hear above the rain, he could hear a distinct whimpering from the room adjacent to his.

Jumping up, he pulled on a pair of trousers, nearly falling in his haste to get to Serenity's chambers.

The prince paused briefly, when he reached the door, hand clutching the handle, but a shake of his head cleared the treacherous thoughts that Serenity wouldn't welcome his presence.

With a tank of the brass beneath his hand, the door had opened.

"Ren? Are you alright?"

Another, pitiful whimper was his answer.

In four, large strides he was at the bed, and her near violent shaking alarmed him more than her scream.

"Ren! Are you hurt? What's wrong?" he pleaded, reaching out to take her hands into his. They were clenched, and nails were digging into her delicate skin.

Nature decided to answer the question for him, as another flash of lightning lit the room, followed closely by thunder that seemed to shake the floor, and his arms were suddenly filled with the small, quivering form of his wife, as she launched herself at him.

He instinctively moved his arms around her, rubbing her back in soothing motions, and he was surprised when her tiny voice squeaked out, "W-what is that?"

Endymion looked down at his wife. Serenity's eyes were wide with fear, and he could sense the danger that was flowing through her, an almost desperate need to flee and to hide.

He reached a hand up to stroke her face gently, and his lips quirked at the edges when he felt her lean into his touch, her eyes fluttering closed. "Are you asking what thunder is?"

Serenity's eyes flashed open, her brow furrowing with question. "What's...thunder?"

Endymion felt a slight annoyance at her question, and stared blankly at her, waiting for his wife to give up the silly ruse, but when her face only continued to register confusion, he couldn't help the amused chuckle that left him. She was, apparently, genuinely unaware of what thunder was. "That loud booming noise you hear is thunder. And it can't hurt you, Ren."

She moved back from him slightly, a frown prevalent on her lips. "What do you mean it can't hurt me? It feels like the whole castle is going to come down!" And she was back, pressed tightly against his chest, as Mother Nature continued her fury just outside the castle walls.

A thought struck Endymion, as he did his best to comfort his whimpering wife. Something he had learned long ago at his mother's knee, when she was teaching him of the planets and their moons.

The moon had no natural atmosphere, it was created by the Silver Crystal. Which meant there could be no storms, no rain, and certainly no lightning or thunder.

"You don't have storms on the moon do you?" he asked, laying his head on the top of hers, luxuriating in the feel of her soft hair against his cheek.

Serenity shook her head against his chest, her shaking calmed slightly by his ministrations.

"I promise it won't hurt you, Ren."

"But…" she began, hesitance laced in her voice. "How?"

Endymion looked away from her, trying to gather his thoughts and decided how best to even begin to explain the phenomena that was weather to someone who came from the moon.

Turning back to her, he had to bite back a smile at the adorable confusion on her face. "Well, you see," he began, "when we have storms, the air becomes charged, which produces lightning, that bright flash you see. And that sound you hear afterwards, thunder, is actually the sound of the lightning discharging, but light travels faster than sound, so we see it first, and then hear it. So, really, there's no harm that can come to you from the sound."

As his explanation washed over her, Serenity pulled back, removing herself from his embrace, and the loss of contact caused a strong pang in his heart.

Lying back against her pillows, Serenity looked down at her clasped hands, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you for checking on me, Endy. I'm sorry to have woken you up for-" she flinched as lightning split the sky, "-something so silly."

Endymion frowned. She was pulling away from him, once again, and he didn't know why, nor did he want her to.

"Ren?"

Serenity startled slightly at the sound of his voice. "Yes?"

"Would you…" he struggled to ask the simple question that was on the tip of his tongue. He sighed, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and ran a nervous hand through his tousled hair.

"Would it be alright, if I stayed with you?"

He watched her eyes grow wide at the question, and she paused in thought, an apparent internal struggle raging in her. But the storm that was raging outside, seemed to make up her mind for her, as after a moment, she nodded her head vigorously in the affirmative, moving over to make room for him to join her.

Endymion climbed onto the bed, and gathered her up in his embrace, nearly crushing her to him in his want for contact with her. She didn't seem to mind though, as she clutched at the bare skin of his chest, burying her head as best she could against him, soaking up the protection his arms brought her.

The feeling of being there, with her, holding her, comforting her as best he could, filled him to the brim, threatening to overflow. He settled them deep into the blankets and throws that adorned her bed, breathing in her scent, and gently cajoling her continued whimpers.

Every time another clap of thunder would resound throughout the space, she would jump a little in his arms, and burrow further into him, an action that pulled the corners of his mouth up as he reveled in her taking all the comfort he was giving.

After a few more moments of soothing, Endymion realized she would never truly calm down unless he was able to distract her. So, he began to talk.

"Hey, Ren? What's it like on the moon?" he asked, a question that had been on his mind for a time.

He felt her intake of breath, and let the silence hang for a short time, while she gathered her thoughts.

"Well, it's lovely of course," she started, her voice sounding much more sure than it had moments before. "It's all white marble and fountains and gardens, and everything is always perfectly as it should be."

"So, nothing like Earth, I take it?"

She sighed. "No, not at all. There's no wind or storms. The temperature is constant. Everything is...steady. Always."

"Do you enjoy the consistency?" he asked, running a hand through her endless tresses.

"No," she answered quietly, but without pause. "I used to look up at the sky and wish I was here."

"Here?" he asked, surprised. "On Earth?"

"Yes. Earth is full of color. It's living and breathing. The only thing consistent about it is the change," she answered with a wisdom that seemed beyond her years.

"But now, you miss it?" he asked, hearing the longing in her voice, and she simply nodded sadly. "What do you miss?"

"My friends mostly." Another sad response. "And mother, too. And the palace workers were like my family, as well."

He pulled her closer, imagining how difficult it must be to be so impossibly far away from home."

"Oh, and the balls. I do, so very much, miss those parties!" she sighed out, when he didn't speak.

A low laugh rumbled his chest at her enthusiasm. "You enjoy dancing I take it?"

"Oh, yes!" she said dreamily. "I'm not all that good at it. Not like mother is, but it's just so freeing."

He smiled down at her. "Well, perhaps, we'll have to find occasion to dance more often, then."

Serenity's face fell at his words, and worry swelled in him.

"Endy, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," came his instinctual response, fear still gripping him at her sudden change of mood.

"Can you...well, I was wondering…" she stuttered out, her eyes darting away from his, and he could see a bright blush on her cheeks even in the darkness of the room.

"What is it, Ren?" he gently prodded.

Serenity took a deep breath in to steady herself, looking at him square in the eye, once more. "What is she like? The woman you love?"

Endymion's breathing stopped at her words, his mouth falling open. When he finally found his voice, he only managed to choke out, "Wh-what?"

Her face remained unmoved, eyes still locked on his. "Can you tell me about her?"

His head shook slowly, back and forth, still trying to process what it was she was asking of him. "I don't think that's such a good idea-"

But Serenity kept going. "I know she's beautiful," she said wistfully.

Her words stopped his dismissal. What did she mean she knew Beryl was beautiful?

"Why...why do you say that?"

"Because you're beautiful," she breathed out, apparently without thinking, for she gasped at her own words and covered her mouth with her hand, the bright blush returning tenfold.

Endymion blinked slowly, her words finally registering in his mind, and he couldn't help the smirk that lifted his lips. He reached a hand up, taking her wrist gently in his grasp, and lowering her hand back to its rightful place on his chest.

"I have been called many things, princess, but I'm fairly certain, beautiful isn't one of them," he said, low and close to her ear.

Serenity pulled back from him slightly, an adorable pout on her face. "Endy, don't tease me so."

He couldn't help the laugh that escaped him, then, but her pout only grew as she started to turn away, and he reached up a hand to pull her face back to him. He soon found her lips tantalizingly close to his. So close, he could feel her breath on his face, as she nervously took him in.

When he felt himself drowning in the overwhelming emotions coursing through him, Endymion was surprised when he heard his own voice speak.

"Ren?" he breathed out, eyes never leaving hers.

"Yes?"

"May I...may I kiss you?"

While he waited for her reaction, the realization that if she consented, this would, indeed, be their very first kiss, made his fear of her possible rejection sting all the more.

Serenity's eyes widened, even as her face moved almost imperceptibly towards his. She paused just sort of touching him, gaze darting down to glance at his mouth, before she whispered, "yes," and closed the gap between them.

Her boldness startled him briefly, as her hands came up to curl around his neck, but soon, he was lost completely.

The kiss started off innocently enough. A repeated brushing of lips that only gave him a glimpse of what it was like to taste her. Endymion knew he needed to go slowly, let her take the reins, but the little nymph was making it nearly impossible with the way she pressed herself against him.

Serenity sighed into the kiss, and Endymion felt her mouth open slightly, her tongue moving softly across his bottom lip.

He couldn't help the moan that escaped him at the sensations she was sending through him. Knowing full well Serenity wasn't some seductress that simply wanted to claim they'd lain with him, made her actions more arousing than he deemed possible, and he returned her actions with equal fervor, pent up emotions that had threatened to drown him, emotions for her, flowed out, and she took it all.

It was the most pure and simultaneously erotic feeling he'd ever experienced. Lying her with her, kissing her, holding her. And he knew in that moment, that no one else could ever satisfy him in the way Serenity did.

Her small hands had left their place at the nape of his neck, and began to roam freely over his chest, as she continued to let her tongue dance with his. When she reached the plains of his stomach, Endymion felt himself tremble under her touch, aching for her in ways he never thought he would.

The storm outside had slowed to a gentle rain, but he was too wrapped up in the feeling of her mouth against his. But he soon found himself leaving her lips, unable to keep himself from feeling more of her, and enjoying the small whimper of protest from her, as his lips began to leave a trail down her neck.

Endymion reached the top of her night dress, placing a kiss on each hardened nipple poking against the fabric. He smiled when she let out a moan, instinctively raising her arms in order to assist in the removal of the clothing that blocked her from his touch.

Once the garment was free of her long, golden hair, Endymion continued to place feather soft kisses along her chest, enjoying her sighs and her hands in his hair, as her body raised in response to him, wanting more.

When he reached her breasts, he paused briefly, trying to savor the moment, but it was as if he was drawn to her by some invisible magnetism. And he took her into his mouth, alternating between suckling her and massaging the nipple with his tongue, waiting until she was practically squirming with need before he licked his way across to the other breast.

"Endy…" she would breathe out, whenever he managed to find a spot she particularly liked, and the sound caused him to grow harder, his arousal straining painfully against his trousers.

But he pushed it from his mind, simply wishing to draw out the experience for his wife.

He kissed down her stomach, marveling at the smoothness of her skin and how she tasted of vanilla. And when he reached the blonde curls that covered the center of her, he paused, looking back up to her face.

Endymion was taken aback by how stunningly beautiful she was like this. All flushed, her breasts heaving with uneven breath, and her eyes hooded with a deep desire that was unmistakeable.

"Is this alright?" he asked, moving down and pausing just above the wet folds that he so wanted to taste.

She nodded her head, reaching down to brush the wayward strands of hair from his eyes.

He smiled at her reassuringly, before turning his attention back to the place he knew could send her over the plateau and into ecstasy.

Placing his mouth over her, he reached his tongue out to take a tentative dip into the slick folds, and his efforts were responded with a throaty moan, eyes rolling back, and her hands curling themselves into his hair, he knew it wouldn't take long.

So, he drank from her, lavishing in the taste that touched his tongue, and loving that he had done this to her. He had caused her to moan, and arch her back, and whisper his name over and over, as he slid his tongue over her clit, long and slow.

And he repeated this movement, until she was crying out his name, unable to stop herself as pleasure took over every synapse in her brain.

When she began to dig her hands into his hair, clutching the black strands almost painfully, Endymion knew she was close, knew that it would take only a few more strokes until she came.

He focused his tongue on one particular spot on the right side of her clit that seemed to make her shake from need and want, and he swirled around it rapidly, causing her to seize up, as a powerful orgasm rocked her body.

She collapsed against the pillows, breathing hard, eyes drooping from the enormity of what she had just experienced.

Endymion moved back up her body, placing light kisses, along her skin, until he reached her lips.

He was surprised when she reached out, and brought his head down to hers, capturing his lips in a searing kiss, that was filled with something he could have sworn was akin to a deep longing.

And before he knew it, her hands were back wandering the muscles of his chest, slowly making their way down to gently stroke his arousal with her fingers through the fabric of his trousers.

He moaned into her mouth at the contact, knowing full well he wouldn't last long if she kept touching him.

Breaking away from the kiss, he moved away to stand up, placing a comforting kiss on her forehead when she looked at him with a mixture of confusion and fear.

Quickly removing his trousers, Endymion nearly hissed when his erection hit the cold air, finally free of its confines.

He crawled back onto the bed, placing himself over her, their foreheads touching.

Endymion was surprised at the intense hunger he saw in Serenity's eyes, and he nearly jumped when he felt her hands on him, positioning him right at her entrance.

He moved in her slowly, trying to savor every touch and sensation, but she was so warm, her walls gripping him so tightly, he knew it was a lost cause.

And when Serenity wrapped her endless legs around his waist, bringing him in closer, feeling every last bit of himself inside of her, he knew it was only a matter of moments before he too would lose himself in her.

One, strong, powerful thrust later, he came with a power he'd never known, his mouth falling open in a silent scream of pleasure, and his eyes closed, unable to see straight, as they were blinded by an exploding, white light.

Endymion fell to the side, completely spent, and Serenity immediately reached up to place light kisses on his face, as he cradled her to his chest.

Sleep was calling him, and he knew it was a battle he couldn't win. But a frightening thought flew through his mind, just before the beckoning blackness claimed him.

Just when exactly had he fallen in love with his wife?