On the Beach Again
I am really, really sorry that is has taken me SO LONG to post this chapter! I kept meaning to but never got around to it. It's amazing how quickly some parts of life slip away from you, doesn't it? I pretty much had to force myself to sit down and type it out.
Originally, this would have been a longer chapter, with two intimate encounters between our favourite couple, but since I had already left you lovely people waiting for five bloody months, I decided to put the first part up, and include the second one later on. Hopefully, I won't take too long with that one either, and if I do, I apologise in advance.
Anyway, here it is; the second last chapter of 'On the Beach'! Many of you suggested that I finish it where I started, which, of course, is on the beach, and ironically, I had been planning that for a long time. I guess it's true that great minds think alike! This is essentially a two-parter, and the second part, which is also the final chapter of the whole fic, will come later on.
Okay, enough with the intro. Enjoy.
Inhaling deeply, Cortana mused for a moment on how simply wonderful it was just to be alive. The sun shone down on her, warming her flesh, and the cool breeze wafted in from the water, bringing the salty tang of the ocean to her nose and taste buds. Even now, it amazed her how, just a couple of years earlier, such sensations would have been completely beyond her, merely because of what she had been; a computer program with a holographic appearance.
As an Artificial Intelligence, Cortana had possessed the ability to see and hear, just like any ordinary human, but had been denied the other three; that of touch, taste and smell. Originally, this had not been a problem for her. She simply went about her business and thought nothing more of it.
But then rampancy set in, and Cortana's very perspective of life – of her life – had changed. She had not been sure if these new feelings were the symptoms of rampancy, or if they had existed in her for a long time and it had just brought them to light. In the end, it probably did not matter. What mattered was that she no longer wanted to be merely a program; she wanted to be a person. Someone who could experience life like any other individual, partaking in the pleasures that so many took for granted.
The one moment that stood out in her mind was when she and John were on Requiem, on the UNSC warship Infinity. She was looking out at the artificial planet's sun, and told John that she could give him thousands of reasons as to why it was not actually real. But even then, she would never be able to feel its warmth on her flesh, if only for the simple fact that she had no true flesh to begin with.
How different things were now.
As a human being, Cortana positively revelled in the sensations brought to her. Now she basked in the warmth of the sun, the coolness of the breeze, the salty tang of the air brought in from the ocean, and the feeling of her heart beating within her chest; a reminder that she was alive!. Touch, taste and smell; that which she had been denied for the first eight years of her existence, now part of her everyday life, and yet still amazed her to no end.
But to Cortana, perhaps the most wonderful thing that she could feel was the simple metal object wrapped around one of the fingers on her left hand. A silver ring, unadorned, but signifying the bond between her and the man that she loved with every fibre of her being.
It had been a simple ceremony, performed a week before, with only family and close friends present. The other Spartan IIs had been there, as had Doctor Catherine Halsey, Miranda Keyes, and Lord Hood. John had worn simple formal attire, while Cortana had a white dress that was both simple and elegant, and yet did nothing to detract from her beauty. Later on, the other Spartans would claim that John had seemed rather nervous as the ceremony began. Apparently it seemed as though he could wade into battle or face down any adversary with little to no problem whatsoever, but the prospect of getting married was enough to put him on edge. However, the sight of Cortana appearing, looking positively radiant as she was being walked down the aisle by Lord Hood, had him positively transfixed.
The reception that followed was just as simple as the ceremony itself, with the group dining and dancing at a small function room at a nice restaurant. To most people, such an occasion would have seemed a little too simple or maybe even half-assed, particularly for a wedding. But to John and Cortana, it was just perfect, and that was all that they wanted. Neither of them were that big on huge ceremonies, anyway, and they knew that their friends felt the same way.
As for the honeymoon, John and Cortana wanted something simple as well; one that had as little fuss as possible. To that end, they found this charming location. The beach stretched for at least two hundred kilometres from one end to the other, and most of it was actually privately owned. However, the owners had no plans to develop it in any way, wanting to maintain the beauty of the site. To that end, they had constructed a few simple beach houses at certain intervals, allowing visitors to live simple lives for a period in a beautiful vista with practically no chance of being interrupted by anyone or anything. There was nobody within almost ten kilometres in any direction, and that was just how the newlywed couple liked it. Peace, quiet, and just the two of them.
Cortana felt somebody come up behind her, and she knew that it could only be John. She felt his muscular arms slip around her and pull her close to him. The former AI simply relaxed against his bare-chested frame and leant her head back, letting out a sigh of contentment as he felt his lips plant soft and tender kisses against her neck from behind. John actually had to move some of her hair out of the way to gain access to the flesh of her neck. Originally, Cortana had hair just like she did in her hologram, which was a bit like a short bob. But in recent months, she decided to go for a different look and let it grow out. Now it stretched to just past her shoulders, and in the light breeze it actually flowed around her somewhat. Added to the fact that she was currently dressed in a white bikini with a sarong, and she definitely had the look of a 'beach babe' about her at the moment.
Privately, John took great pleasure that this beautiful beach babe was now his wife; the matching silver ring on his own finger. As the two of them stood there, with his arms wrapped around her from behind, he could not believe the journey that the two of them had taken together. Starting with their first meeting on Reach years earlier to the events on the first Halo, followed by the attack on Earth, the second Halo, the Ark, Requiem, and everything in between.
Perhaps the event which stood out most prominently in John's mind was the Didact's attack on Earth. The main reason being that he thought it was the moment when he thought he had lost Cortana forever. Being still an AI at that point, she had begun to fall to her dreaded rampancy, and there were serious concerns about her wellbeing. However, the predations of the Didact and the joint Covenant-Promethean force under his command had forced them to place Cortana's 'health' on the backburner.
The AI had been forced to siphon off sections of herself in order to weaken the Didact for his defeat, and afterwards, it seemed as though she was too weak to be saved. Her last apparent act had been to ensure John's own survival, but the thought that he had lost her had hurt the Spartan in a way that he did not know how to express.
But as fate would later reveal, Cortana had not been lost completely, and John had risked everything to get her back. This time, he promised himself that he would never let her go. Eventually, they found a way in which she could transcend the physical barrier and become a flesh-and-blood human, and things had never been the same afterwards.
Through it all, their bond had only gotten stronger with each passing day, eventually reaching the point where both realised the true depth of their feelings for each other. New possibilities had opened up for them once Cortana had achieved physical from, going from AI to human being. But the irony was that, although both of them clearly desired a physical and intimate relationship – even to the point where those around them were able to see this as clear as day – neither one had much of a clue to instigate it.
It was only after that day when John had unexpectedly come across a nude Cortana sunning herself on the beach that things changed forever. Overcome with amorous feelings, John had approached the beautiful woman and what eventually followed was their first ever lovemaking session. Since then, their relationship had only gotten more intimate.
Looking back now, both the Spartan and the former Artificial Intelligence found their situation rather comical. It may have been slightly frustrating for both of them back then, but that no longer mattered in the slightest. Now, they were husband and wife, soul mates every possible way.
Sometimes, more out of amusement than anything else, they wondered what Catherine Halsey would have thought of the two of them. The good doctor was the person who chose John for the Spartans, and who created Cortana using her own brain as a template. And yet, in a million years, she probably would never have figured that she had been bringing together two souls who seemed destined for each other. None of them really believed in fate, destiny or any of that, but sometimes, one could not help but wonder… Well, it was an interesting line of thought, nonetheless; one that provided quite a bit of amusement all around.
Doctor Halsey herself was positively overjoyed with the union between the Spartan and the former Artificial Intelligence. John had been the closest thing to a son for her, and despite how she had come into existence, she still considered Cortana to be her daughter, especially now that they shared the same DNA. In the past, the doctor had felt great regret over the burdens that she felt she had given them, and for so long had tried to make it up for them. Even after the events where she had been labelled a war criminal and a traitor by ONI, she still attempted to find a way to atone for those she considered her children.
But all of that was in the past, and Catherine had been able to make peace with her demons. She had helped Cortana become human, and also mended the rifts with Miranda, allowing her to forge strong relationships with both of her daughters, whom she was immensely proud of. And now John had become an official part of the family. Though she was an atheist, the good doctor sometimes felt as though she had been blessed.
And of course, this provided her with another base from which to tease John and Cortana, asking them if they would be providing her with grandchildren any time soon. This embarrassed the couple to no end, even more so when Miranda joined in, asking when she would have any nieces or nephews to spoil. John and Cortana also suspected that the other Spartan IIs – Fred, Kelly and Linda – would be playing aunts and uncle to any of their future children.
But for now, it was all about the happy couple enjoying their honeymoon.
"So, what were you thinking just now?" John asked lightly.
Cortana glanced up at her husband. "What makes you think I'm thinking about anything? How do you know I'm not just enjoying the scenery?"
John gave a small laugh that she easily felt due to her back being placed against his chest. "Because I know you too well," he pointed out. "I know that you've always got something ticking over in that brilliant mind of yours. It's rare for you to simply take some time to smell the roses. You're a lot like your mother in that regard."
Cortana could not help but roll her eyes and give a small laugh of her own. It was true that Dr Catherine Halsey was just like he described, and since the former AI was so much like her creator, then it was understandable that they would share those kinds of traits.
"True," she admitted. "Well, I guess I'm doing both, really. I'm enjoying the scenery and remembering all that we went through to get here. And how just a few years ago, this would have seemed impossible." She sighed. "Just a few years, and yet it seems like a lifetime ago."
"I know what you mean," John agreed, placing a loving kiss on his wife's head. "The wars, the Halos, Requiem, all of it seems like it happened so long ago, and some of it was only a few years back. I guess it's just a matter of perspective. But speaking of which, there has always been one thing that mattered so much to me in that regard."
Cortana looked up at the Spartan, her eyebrow raised in mild curiosity. She actually had an idea as to where John's train of thought was going, but she let him continue nonetheless.
"As a soldier, I was always taught to keep things in perspective, no matter the situation. The mission, my squad, the survival of humanity; all of that was meant to be kept in mind when I was doing my missions, and if any were compromised, then I felt like I had let them down in a way.
"But a few years ago, something entered my life which changed everything. Something which altered my perspective forever." He gazed into Cortana's bright blue eyes. "That 'something' was you, Cortana. You were my friend, partner and companion in so many ways that I cannot begin to count them all. I think it was on the Ark, when I had to fight through hordes of Flood on High Charity to retrieve you that I realised how truly important you were. Not just to humanity or the UNSC, but to me personally. Even after I thought I'd lost you on the Composer and what happened afterwards…" he trailed off here, as if suddenly overcome with emotion, but managed to find his voice again.
"From that moment on, my perspective was focused on you, Cortana. The mission, defeating our enemies; all of it became second tier, and no longer mattered so much to me, especially if I had been in a position where I could not have save you." He quirked his mouth upward in a slight smile. "I suppose many psychologists would consider me to have been 'emotionally compromised'. That's probably true, I guess, but I also wouldn't have cared. If I could have been with you, then I would have gladly been emotionally compromised. To me, you are the centre of my universe, and that is how I want to be for the rest of my life."
Whenever John went on tangents like this, Cortana found that all she could do was listen to him with her heart in her mouth, emotion welling up inside her being. It amazed her to no end how this man, who had known only war and bloodshed for as long as he could remember, who was unbelievably ferocious on the battlefield, and who stood as a symbol of hope for all of his allies and fear for his enemies, was capable of such love and devotion for her and her alone. She had heard him say this several times now, but it never ceased to make her feel overcome with emotion.
Turning around so that she was facing him, Cortana said nothing, but instead reached up to wrap her slender arms around his muscular neck, and pulled him down for a long and passionate kiss. The Spartan responded by looping his arms around her waist and holding her even closer. The strength in those limbs would have been more than enough to lift a heavy object or maybe even yank someone else's arm clean out of its socket, but when holding Cortana, he did so with such care and tenderness. It was almost like he perceived her as being made of glass and he was afraid of damaging her in any way, though she had long since proven herself tougher than most people gave her credit for.
Pulling apart, Cortana smiled up at her new husband. "You always know how to make a girl feel special."
John smiled back. "Well, not any girl, just you. But then, you've always been special to me."
Cortana continued to relish in the warm feelings that John was giving her, and as she did so, she gave a quick glance out over the waves. At the moment, the tide was relatively low, so only a few small waves were being seen. After first becoming human, such a thought would have terrified her for the simple reason that she did not know how to swim; AIs had no physical form, after all. But once becoming an organic, she decided to take up several forms of physical activity, mostly out of a need to stay in shape. One of them was swimming, and though she was far from the kind of experience of an Olympic athlete, she nonetheless enjoyed it. So right now, the waves looked rather inviting.
Pulling away from John, the former AI headed in the direction of the water. "You know what, John? I feel like a bit of a swim right now."
"Really?" the Spartan responded lightly. "Are you sure those lessons have paid off? I mean, this is our honeymoon, and I don't want to have to be forced into saving you from drowning, or from sharks." Despite the supposed seriousness of his words, Cortana knew full well that he was only being humorous. It was a trait that many would not have equated with the Master Chief, or any of the Spartans, come to that. But his physical relationship with his former AI, now his wife, had definitely changed that for the better.
"You know there are no sharks in this area, John," Cortana admonished him playfully. "And the tide's low, so I'm not likely to get caught in a current or anything like that." As she did this, she removed her sarong, and then carefully took off her wedding ring, wrapping it in the bunched-up fabric of the sarong for safekeeping before placing this bundle down on the sand. "Besides, if I do get in trouble, I've got a big strong man to rescue me."
"Is that so?" John returned in an equally playful tone before crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, I think I might need just a little bit more convincing than that." Cortana knew that he was baiting her, but that was one of the reasons as to why their relationship was so much fun these days. It kept things exciting and allowed them to surprise each other in unexpected ways.
Keeping her back to him, Cortana looked out over the inviting blue ocean and, acting as casually as possible, she reached her hands behind her back to the knot holding her bikini top in place. Tugging the thread, the knot came undone, and she pulled the garment off over her head, allowing the D-sized mounds of her breasts to bounce free. She sighed in pleasure as she felt the warm air caress her naked flesh, and though John could not see her front, Cortana knew that her actions would right now be arousing him, just like it always did.
Reaching down, she hooked her thumbs into the bottom half of her bikini and slowly pulled them down; an act designed to further pique the Spartan's interest, and she simply knew that this would have succeeded in its aim. Placing the two pieces of white fabric on the ground next to her bunched-up sarong, Cortana glanced quickly over her shoulder at John. Though the look she gave him was only a couple of seconds in length, it was enough for her to register the gazed lust-filled look in his eyes.
"You coming?" she asked playfully before casually walking her nude form into the surf.
John waited only an extra second before making his own move. Easing off his own wedding band, he placed it in the pocket of his shorts for its own safekeeping, then pulled these garments and the swimwear underneath down his legs. Leaving these on the sand next to Cortana's discarded attire, he strode his own naked form into the water. When he was waist high, he dove under the waves and swam after his wife.
The next few minutes were all about John, Cortana and the big blue ocean in which they now frolicked. Most of the time was spent on the surface, where they swam around each other, occasionally splashing each other and laughing joyfully. Not surprisingly, most of this was done by Cortana. Her playful attitude had been a trademark of her behaviour even back when she was still an AI, but now that she was a human, she was able to revel in such things even more. A lot of people may have perceived this as being a tad childish, but Cortana was someone who had only been flesh and blood for a much shorter time than most, so the ability of being able to experience life in this manner was still a wonder to her.
John suspected that Cortana would still be amazed by these things for quite some time into the future, if not forever, but that did not bother him in the least. It was one of the many traits that reminded him just how much he truly loved her, and there was not a day that went by when he was not grateful to have her in his life.
During the swimming, there were times when the couple would hold their breaths and dive beneath the surface. John had no trouble in this area, since the Spartan training had allowed him to get experience in it. Sure, the all-encompassing armour may have allowed him to breathe fine underwater or even in the vacuum of space, but the military still preferred its soldiers to be at optimal fitness levels.
Being a former AI, Cortana had never needed to worry with breathing, simply for the fact that she did not have lungs. Becoming a human, this was one of the first things that she needed to get used to, and when she had decided to take up swimming lessons, she had trouble at first, as most people would have. But gradually she learnt how to control her breathing and hold her breath for periods of time, which made underwater swimming easier and more enjoyable.
Those lessons had clearly paid off. As she and John swam around each other, she could not help feeling a sense of wonder. To experience something like this with a person who meant more to her than life itself seemed positively surreal. If anything, it reminded her of the time when she had John had been stuck on that Pelican drop ship in orbit about a year earlier. The long wait had gotten on their nerves, so Cortana decided to alleviate their boredom by turning off the gravity and floating around the cabin in weightlessness for a while. The sheer sensation of it all had gotten to the couple, and they ended up making love in the zero gravity. They had yet to repeat that particular encounter, but this came pretty damn close.
At one point during the swimming, John came up behind Cortana and wrapped his left arm around her midsection, holding her close. After quickly warning her to take a deep breath, the Spartan dove underwater, taking the former AI with him beneath the waves. Letting her body relax, Cortana allowed John to do the swimming for the both of them, making powerful strokes with his free right hand and holding her close to him with his left arm, guiding their naked bodies through the transparent blue surf. It was a situation which Cortana felt was incredibly intimate, and more than a little erotic. Seeing the wonder of the world beneath the waves, the two lovers together with their naked forms practically as one as they moved through the water… it was moments like this made Cortana realise how truly wonderful it was to be alive, and to have someone to share that life with.
Breaching the surface, the couple inhaled deeply, filling their lungs with fresh oxygen. The pair never relinquished their hold on each other, although Cortana did turn her body around so that she was looking into John's eyes again. Wrapping her arms around the Spartan's muscular neck, she drew him close for a deep and passionate kiss. She savoured all of the sensations, from the salty tang of the seawater, to the familiar taste that she experienced every time her lips joined with his. To her, that taste was purely John, and there was nothing sweeter or more tantalising.
John felt the same way towards Cortana. Even back when she had just been an AI occupying the slot in the back of his helmet, she always seemed to bring a certain warmth with her. Whenever she was not inside his armour, it always felt somewhat emptier than before. Yet, even when she manifested her avatar nearby, like on a pedestal, that emptiness seemed to lessen a great deal. As long as she was around in some form, the Master Chief had felt complete in a way that many people would not have understood. A lot of people had perceived him as being a cold, methodical and completely emotionless killing machine, but that was simply because they had seen him by himself. Not many people saw him with Cortana, but those who did saw another side of him open up, and it didn't take a genius to realise that it was because of her.
When the Chief had defeated the Didact on the Composer above Earth, when Cortana had seemingly died, he had felt as though a part of him had died also. It felt like some part of John's very essence, something that made him who he was, had gone away and would never come back. He had never said it out loud to anybody, not even himself, but that was the moment when he realised how much Cortana had truly meant to him.
For a time after that, John had been living practically on autopilot; simply going on whatever missions were asked of him, killing one enemy after another, doing his piece to save humanity and whatnot. But his heart had not been in it anymore. A piece of his heart had died along with Cortana, and nothing would ever bring it back. Part of him no longer even cared if the entire human race was wiped out; as far as he was concerned, it was not even worth saving if Cortana was not there anymore. He had kept a chain around his neck, and on it was the chip that she had inhabited as an AI. This hung close to his heart, which belonged to her, as far as he was concerned.
But circumstances had allowed Cortana to return to life. Not only that, but she was able to become a flesh-and-blood human being, and although it took a while for the two of them to act on their feelings, it eventually happened. Now here they were, husband and wife, practically as one while they swam in the currents of the blue ocean, alongside the beach where they were honeymooning.
Every now and then, John felt the need to pinch himself, just to make sure that he was not merely having some wonderful dream. And he knew that Cortana – his wife – did the same thing as well.
With each kiss the couple gave each other, they felt their desires begin to build. At the same time, beneath the water's surface, their hands had once more started to touch and caress each other's flesh, stoking the fires which were gaining momentum. Both John and Cortana mused briefly on how ironic it was that the water was doing nothing to cool them down from the heat which they were feeling. As they looked into each other's eyes, the Spartan and former AI had the same thought between them: I want you badly right now!
John and Cortana both swam in the direction of the beach as fast as they could manage, the sudden sheer desire that each of them felt providing them the strength they needed. Not surprisingly, John made it there first, his military training and Spartan augmentations meaning that he was probably capable of outswimming all but the most experienced of Olympic-class swimmers. He stood on the beach, just outside the edge of the surf line and close to the spot where they had left their discarded clothing, with nothing covering him except for a layer of seawater that continued to sluice and drip off his muscular form. His manhood had already begun to harden in anticipation.
Cortana emerged from the water moments later, noticeably less graceful than how John had done it, but no less turned on from their frolicking in the waves. Her hair was plastered down to her head in an unbelievably gorgeous way, and the water flowed over the curves of her figure; dripping off the underside of her bountiful breasts, and down her toned stomach and legs. The sheer sight of this only served to turn John on even more than he already was.
Not wanting to waste a second, Cortana walked quickly up to the Spartan and, at the last second, practically leapt into his arms. This action caused him to fall back onto the sand, his gorgeous wife ending up on top of him, once more locking their lips together in a passionate kiss.
After a few seconds, John pulled his lips away from Cortana's and began to move down her neck, trailing kisses along the way. She let out a soft sigh as her husband did this, her fingers holding the back of his head and practically tangling themselves in his hair. In the past, he had usually kept it cut short, as was common in the military, but over the past couple of months he had let it grow. She guessed this was just another way how he had continued to loosen up over the course of their relationship.
As John continued with his kissing down Cortana's neck, he savoured the experience, right down to the taste of saltwater that continued to cling to her skin. For so long, this beautiful woman had been without a physical form, and he had experienced this unusual and unfathomable desire to simply touch her, never mind the fact that she was simply a hologram. But now that she was flesh and blood… well, he simply could not get enough of her.
Finally reaching her breasts, John ran his lips across the curvaceous mounds and flicked his tongue over the sensitive flesh of her nipples, eliciting the desired reaction from Cortana. Above him, the former AI bucked and squirmed involuntarily as she felt jolts of pleasure course through her being. Her sighs lengthened into moans, and she looked down at her husband, her bright blue eyes now clouded with pure desire.
John's eyes looked back up at Cortana, and she could see reflected in them a longing that matched what she now felt inside her very being. Foreplay between the two of them was almost always as exciting as the intimacy itself, with the only difference being how long they allowed it. And through that shared glance, the couple knew that they had both had enough of it in this instance, and could not wait any longer.
Positioning herself over John's manhood, now firmly hardened, Cortana felt the tip of it ease into her opening, and she lowered herself down, feeling the solid shaft slide into her. Letting out a moan, she stayed still for a couple of seconds while she felt the initial pleasurable shock subside. Although the two of them had now made love so many times that they had long since lost count – Cortana insisted that it was probably getting close to a hundred by now – the amount of ecstasy that they both felt with every occasion was so extreme it was practically mind-blowing.
While Cortana lay on top of him, with his organ inside her, John slowly ran his hands down her form, starting at her large breasts, moving down her toned sides, and coming to cup her ass cheeks. Looking up at his wife and the expression of bliss on her face, John could simply tell these simple touches were adding to her pleasure. He had never thought that he would be capable of eliciting such a response from someone, but Cortana had always managed to do the same with him, so he had no reason to complain.
Almost tentatively, Cortana began to move her hips up and down the shaft of John's manhood. Starting slow at first, but gradually picking up momentum, she started to go faster, the sound of her flesh beginning to slap against his – both of them still damp from the seawater – spurring her on with her movements.
Below her, John felt the thrills of pleasure emanating from his lower regions to all the corners of his body. At the same time, he felt the sand beneath him shift every which way as it was moved around by the increasingly frenetic activity of the newlywed couple's intimate movements. During their first ever sexual experience, Cortana had been underneath, but had been on laying a towel, whereas right now, John had his bare back against the sand, and was experiencing the rough friction caused by their actions. It was almost like sandpaper, but the Spartan did not mind in the least. He had endured much worse, and besides, his current intimacy with his new wife more than made up for it.
On top of the Spartan, Cortana persisted with her bounces against him, feeling his hardened organ slide in and out of her moistened opening, rubbing against the walls and nerve endings, sending jolts of ecstasy coursing through her being. Back when she had still been an Artificial Intelligence, she would never have even considered that a moment like this would be in her future. And yet, in the years when she was looking over John on the ruins of the Forward Unto Dawn, something in her had changed, making her see the world in an entirely different light forever. Now the two of them were joined together in a way that she would never even think of experiencing with anybody else.
Allowing her bouncing to slow to a firm but steady pace, Cortana looked down at her husband, taking in the handsome and animalistic look, the roughness of his features hewn by years of combat, and the lust glazing over his eyes; a look that she knew she was mirroring. Feeling John's hands making their way back up her form, Cortana felt thrills of pleasure at every place that his fingers touched; the almost-tickling sensation making her feel as though her very flesh was burning with desire.
John's hands finally came to rest on Cortana's breasts, cupping the generous mounds, as he often did when the two of them were in this particular sexual position. Not that she was complaining or anything; she never would. John's very touch made her feel alive, and feeling it on the sensitive flesh of her breasts positively made her head spin.
Keeping up with her bouncing, Cortana quickly began to feel the familiar sensation manifesting itself in the core of her being. Almost at the same time, John's pleasurable grunts began to shift and take on a different tone. This was a sign that he was getting close to his own release as well. It was amazing that neither of them really needed to say anything to let the other one know what they were feeling. If anything, it was an indication of the deep bond that the Spartan and the former Artificial Intelligence shared; almost as if the two of them were the same entity, capable of feeling what the other was feeling, right down to the sexual aspect of it. Naturally, this made their lovemaking so much more intimate.
Lowering her form down so that it was almost pressed up against his, Cortana captured John's lips in another deep and passionate kiss. At the same time, he moved his hands from her breasts back down to her hips, where he assisted her with her continued thrusting; pulling her onto his shaft, then pushing her almost off before pulling again.
John and Cortana gently pulled apart from their kiss. They locked their eyes and never broke contact as they continued to push themselves and each other ever closer to their shared climax. Their bodies were so close, but not touching, save for down at their hips where she continued to slide herself up and down his pole, and for her breasts gently pressing against his chest. The sound of the waves crashing against the sand echoed around them as they came closer and closer…
As one, John and Cortana reached their orgasms at the same time. She threw her head back and let out a cry as she felt her muscles contract and her womanhood tighten, letting out a slight squirt of liquid around his shaft. At the same time, he grunted loudly and thrust into her one last time, burying himself to the hilt and releasing a stream of hot liquid deep inside her. The shared euphoria overtook them both and for a few seconds, it was almost like they had left their bodies behind, floating on a cloud of pure ecstasy.
Coming down from this, Cortana felt her body slump against John's on the sand. At the same time, he relaxed noticeably, wrapping his arms around his wife's slightly quivering form. The couple stayed this way for a couple of minutes, just letting themselves enjoy the afterglow of their latest lovemaking session.
Through the haze of her euphoria, Cortana felt herself dimly thinking that it was a good thing they were on an isolated beach with nobody around for several kilometres. The last thing she wanted was anybody spying on the two of them, especially when they were engaged in such an intimate and private activity.
It was John who finally broke the silence that had settled upon them. "You know what, Cortana?"
Cortana managed to lift her head up and look at her husband. Though his expression was largely neutral, his eyes danced with mirth. "What, John?" she asked.
"This kind of reminds me of the first time we had sex. That was on the beach, remember?"
Cortana simply laughed at this, and John was easily drawn into it.
Like I said earlier, this was meant to be a two-parter, but due to time constraints (which were essentially self-imposed, I have to admit) I'm putting up this first part now and I'll write and post the last part later on. Since it is tied into this, it will also be on this beach.
And it will also be the final chapter. We're on the home stretch here, my friends!
And I am REALLY sorry that I keep you guys waiting! Of the Seven Deadly Sins, the one I am most guilty of would be Sloth.
By the way, with the part with Cortana taking off her bikini, I was inspired by a film in which the starring woman did the same thing before wading into the surf. That woman also happened to be British model Kelly Brook, who, in my opinion, is one of the most unbelievably gorgeous women on the planet! And just happens to be currently dating one of my favourite action stars, Jason Statham! Lucky bugger!
Anyway, I hope this was hot enough for you all, and I will try to get the final chapter up soon enough.