WARNING: This chapter contains lemons. This chapter is optional- you may skip it and the rest of the story will still make sense.

Cú Chulainn woke to the pitter patter of rain against the window. He furrowed his brow in confusion, trying to remember why he had been sleeping in the first place. That's right, I was injured... His body felt sore but otherwise intact. As the memories flooded back Lancer couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency. There were many questions he needed answers to, and he certainly didn't have time to be laying around. However, when he moved to get up he felt a pressure on his shoulder. Lancer stilled as Ashlin came into view. She was curled tightly against his body, holding him as if he were the only thing anchoring her to the world. There were tear stains on her face and her clothes were in tatters but to him she never looked more beautiful. Giving in to temptation a bit, he allowed himself to brush some strands of hair away from her face. He was rewarded with a small sigh of contentment before Ashlin's ebony eyes fluttered open meet his.

"You're awake," she spoke softly with a lazy smile, sleep still clinging to her.

"Yea, I'm alright. Just like I said I would be," he replied with a characteristic smirk, letting his fingers trail down her cheek for a bit. Ashlin considered him for a moment as her eyes traced across his handsome face. Lancer took notice and watched her curiously. She had never given him that look before. His master appeared to be contemplating something before she suddenly reached up and pulled him into a kiss. Her lips were gentle and yet insistent as she sealed them over his. Lancer felt his eyes drift closed and he hazily wondered if this was a dream before readily kissing her back. His hand moved into her hair to tilt her head slightly, deepening the kiss. He felt Ashlin's hands slide up his neck and he couldn't help but smirk a bit when she removed the metal clasp holding his hair, letting the long strands spill across his back and over his shoulders. Reluctantly, Lancer allowed her to pull away and break the kiss.

"Something you want to tell me?" He asked, sounding surprised. She didn't answer and instead pulled him in for another kiss, this one more demanding. Ashlin pulled his body over hers and raked her nails down his back, causing him to shudder and instinctively press her harder into the mattress. His body started to heat up as her tongue invaded his mouth, making him feel dizzy while she thoroughly kissed him. He gripped her hips tightly as his own tongue responded in kind, eliciting a gratified moan from the woman beneath him. I need to stop soon, he told himself before moving to her neck, earning him more contented moans and sighs.

"Lancer," she gasped when he found a particularly sensitive spot. Cú Chulainn found his mouth working on its own as he licked, nipped and sucked the area until Ashlin was all but writhing under him. She cried his name softly, panting as he tortured her. Shit! I need to stop right NOW! Lancer immediately halted his ministrations and lean his forehead against her collarbone. His breathing was heavy.

"What are we doing, Ash?" He asked slowly, trying to control himself. When she didn't answer he raised his head to look at her and was shocked to find tears rolling down her beautiful face. Lancer instantly pulled away and stood from the bed, taking a few steps back as he did so. Ashlin looked startled at his sudden movement and stared at him strangely before an exasperated sigh passed her lips.

"You didn't hurt me, you silly man."

"Then why are you crying," he asked pointedly. Ashlin bit her lower lip and didn't respond for a moment.

"Gilgamesh has the Grail, Lancer. He will activate it in three days' time." She watched his eyes widen at her words. "Once activated, he will use it to purge the world, destroying everything." Lancer was silent as he let her revelation sink in.

"And I will be gone," he added with a bitter smile, realizing his time was about to run out. Ashlin moved to stand in front of him with her head lowered, tears dripping down her face.

"But I don't want you to go," Lancer heard her whisper before her arms came to wrap slowly around him. "I'm not ready for you to leave." Cú Chulainn felt his heart hammering as he forced her chin up so he could look at her, and what he saw finally pushed him over the edge. "Lancer, I think I'm-" Ashlin was unable to finish her statement when she found herself suddenly pressed against the wall, locked in her servant's grip. His mouth was on her neck again but this time he was rougher, almost wild.

"I'm in love with you, Sétanta," she gasped with a breathy moan while he attacked the sensitive area he found earlier. One of his hands rested on the small of her back while the other roamed over her stomach, her hip, and then down farther. She felt him play with the hem of her skirt a bit before slipping his hand underneath to trail over her upper thigh. He stopped when his fingers brushed her panty line. Lancer seemed to hesitate and Ashlin felt his lips stop on her neck for a moment. Sensing his uncertainty, Ashlin cupped his cheek and pulled his eyes up to meet hers. "Sétanta," she reassured him. "If I could have the Grail grant me one wish, I would ask to spend this night with you."

"Are you sure, lass?" He asked seriously, searching her eyes for any doubt. She simply smiled at him and nodded her head.

"Yes, I'm sure." Feeling all resistance crumble, Cú Chulainn swiftly captured her mouth in a passionate kiss and hooked his thumb around her panties. The tiny article of clothing soon dropped to the floor, leaving her skirt as the only barrier between them. Once the panties were off, Lancer promptly lifted her off the ground and guided her legs to wrap around his waist, effectively pinning her to the wall with his body. He could feel her trembling beneath him.

"Relax," he whispered into her hair while he leisurely unbuttoned her blouse, taking time to enjoy the small noises she made as he pressed his still clothed body firmly against hers. Ashlin let out a loud moan when he rocked into her and Lancer could feel desire starting to take him as he thrust harder the next time. Ashlin's blouse soon dropped to the floor next to her panties, leaving her mostly bare before him. Ashlin's hands moved to tangle in Lancer's hair while he began to kiss down the center of her chest, and she shuddered when one of his hands came up to caress her soft curves through the fabric of her bra. With a flick of his wrist, Lancer brought one of the straps down, giving him easier access to the supple flesh underneath. Ashlin gasped and tried to recoil from his actions, a scarlet blush rapidly spreading across her face. She heard Lancer chuckle a bit before he fixed her with a devious smirk. Without warning he dipped his head down to capture the exposed pink bud in his mouth.

"Lancer…" Ashlin moaned as his mouth played with the sensitive skin. Cú Chulainn smiled a bit when he felt her undoing his shoulder plates and subsequently tossing them to the ground. Deciding to assist her, he allowed the material covering his torso to dematerialize under her fingers. She sucked in a breath, causing him to glance up at her curiously. However, before he could resume his previous activities Ashlin began to drag her hands down his toned chest and across his abdomen, drawing an appreciative groan from the blue warrior holding her. Driven by the need to satisfy her servant, Ashlin raked her nails down his back and moved her lips to ghost across his bare chest. This earned her a few more approving sounds as Lancer's hands moved to grip her backside. Feeling bolder, Ashlin unclasped her own bra and tossed it to the ground with her other discarded clothing. She then proceeded to pull Cú Chulainn into a fervent kiss, pressing herself fully against him. Lancer shuddered at the contact, his control quickly slipping.

"Fuck, Ash… I need to take you soon," he groaned before suddenly gripping her hips and hoisting her up onto his shoulders so her legs rested on either side of his head. Lancer swallowed her yelp of surprise with a demanding kiss before slipping a finger inside her. Ashlin felt her vision go white for a second as he began to slowly pump in and out, and she could feel heat quickly starting to pool between her legs as Lancer worked. She bit back a scream when he inserted a second finger.

Lancer frowned a bit when his master remained mostly silent, keeping her face buried into his hair. He missed hearing her moans and sighs. She was panting heavily and he could feel her walls tightening around him. So why won't you moan? Come on Ash, scream for me. Feeling impatient, Cú Chulainn removed his fingers and swiftly moved to insert his tongue instead. An immense feeling of satisfaction washed over him as she cried out, his name rolling off her lips.

Ashlin struggled in vain to hold back her screams when Lancer's tongue invaded her. His actions had her seeing stars and her brain was struggling to process what was happening. Granted she had some experience in the bedroom but this was completely new. The sensation was unreal and Ashlin found herself slowly being engulfed by it.

"Lancer, please," she pleaded, her thighs tightening around his head. At her words, Ashlin suddenly felt her body drop as her servant forcefully ripped off her skirt and pulled her down to rest with her legs around his waist. She gasping when something hard and warm pressed against her core. Ashlin shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the powerful warrior holding her to plunge himself inside. She was surprised however, when he did not.

"Ashlin?" Cú Chulainn questioned, his voice low and strained with the effort of controlling himself. His crimson eyes were dark with desire. Ashlin felt her body unconsciously relax in his grip, all lingering traces of doubt vanishing when she realized what he was asking.

"You won't hurt me," she assured him while cupping his face gently in her hands. "I'm yours, Sétanta." Lancer could have sworn a damn broke inside him as he surged into her, burying himself completely. An overwhelming sense of gratification consumed him while he listened to her pleasured moans and screams. She cried out in ecstasy as he moved inside her, his thrusts fast and direct.

Cú Chulainn did not consider himself to be a gentle lover. Unrestrained he was wild and rough, behaving in the bedroom much like he did on the battlefield. And yet, she doesn't seem to mind. In fact… Lancer could scarcely contain himself when his pretty little master dug her fingernails into his back and urged him to go faster, to thrust harder. Throwing her on the bed Lancer did just that. He took Ashlin in every position he could think of, sending her toppling over the edge several times. He was a man possessed, a man determined to claim her so thoroughly that not a soul would dare question his right to her.

As his body reached the edge, Lancer pulled Ashlin on top so he could see her. Her eyes were clouded with desire and her slender body was covered in a thin sheet of sweat. Cú Chulainn watched completely captivated as she moved on top of him, driving his thrusts up to meet her rolling hips. He sucked in a breath when he felt her walls tighten around him. Reacting quickly, he grabbed Ashlin and thrust himself deep inside of her, letting her name tumble from his lips as he climaxed.

"Sétanta!" Ashlin cried out as she too was brought over the edge, her body subsequently collapsing onto him. Her breathing was heavy and she shook with a combination of pleasure and exhaustion. She felt her body moving as Lancer repositioned them. He pulled her to him until she was nuzzled against his shoulder, his arms wrapped securely around her. Ashlin felt overcome with a feeling of absolute completion and contentment while she rested in her servant's arms. Her eyes flutter closed and eventually her body succumbed to sleep's temptation.

"I love you," Lancer murmured quietly before his master drifted off. He couldn't help but grin down at her. You never cease to amaze me, he mused, quite pleased, as he played with a strand of Ashlin's hair. Whether she realized it or not Lancer wasn't sure, but her actions that night had done far more than advance their relationship. Under normal circumstances, sexual relations between a master and servant helped facilitate mana exchange between the two parties. It was an archaic but useful method that could be employed if mana transference were to become disrupted. In his case, Ashlin flooded her already overwhelming magic energy into him and damn could he feel it. Gae Bolg was practically humming with excitement. Lancer couldn't help but wonder how powerful he was going to be at the end of these three days. A devious smirk crept across his face as he pictured all the places she might "facilitate mana exchange" with him tomorrow.

Electing not to worry about what would happen when the Grail was activated, Lancer simply spent the night watching over her. I belong to you, Ashlin. Don't ever forget that.

Ashlin let her eyes slowly open as the sun's light crept through the bedroom window, a lazy smile spreading across her face when memories from the previous night came flooding back. Her body felt pleasantly sore as she rolled over to search for the blue haired lancer. Her eyes came shooting open, however, when he wasn't there. Ashlin sat bolt upright in bed, a sense of dread filling her. Where is he? No… Please, no. Gilgamesh can't have activated the Grail yet! Fear clawed at her mind as her thoughts raced and her heart started to pound wildly. Ashlin was so distracted that she almost failed to notice the bedroom door open. A wave of relief washed over her a moment later.

"Morning, princess," Lancer greeted with a characteristic smirk as he strode through the door, his eyes trailing downwards when he looked at her. Following his gaze, Ashlin quickly yanked the blanket up to her chin, effectively hiding her state of undress.

"My eyes are up here you know!"

"Yep, and those are nice too."

"Lancer!"

"What's the problem? You certainly didn't seem to mind baring it all to me last night," he commented with a sly grin, chuckling when a fresh blush appeared on Ashlin's face. "In fact, if I recall correctly, last night was your idea." Ashlin tried desperately to think of a witty retort but failed. In the end she simply pulled the blanket over her head and collapsed backwards on the bed, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"I see you're back to teasing me again."

"I never stopped. Don't you remember how much fun I had teasing you last night?" He asked with a roguish grin as he made to stand near the bed. "If you come out, I promise to tease you some more," he offered, his voice sounding more seductive by the second. Ashlin simply wrapped the blanket tighter around herself, desperately trying keep some space between them as Lancer began to run his hand down her body. His touch was still burning despite the blanket acting as a barrier.

"Lancer, I don't think we should- eek!" Ashlin shrieked when her servant literally ripped the blanket off her and scooped her up.

"Hey! Gimme back my blanket!" She yelled in indignation, shuddering as the cold air hit her skin.

"Nope."

"Right now!"

"Not happening."

"Lancer!" He couldn't help but laugh at the furious woman in his arms, finding her death glare rather endearing while he carried her down the hall.

"Relax, you'll be warm in a few seconds," he promised before kicking the bathroom door open. Ashlin stopped her protests immediately as humid air washed over her. Without skipping a beat, Lancer allowed his armor to dematerialize and he lowered them both into the warm water of the tub, settling Ashlin in between his legs. "There, all better," he declared.

"This is just an excuse to see me naked," she accused, albeit rather halfheartedly.

"It worked," he replied with a smirk. Ashlin simply rolled her eyes and sunk down into the water, trying to ignore the blush staining her cheeks. The water is too hot, that's all. Ashlin almost had herself convinced until Lancer shifted and quickly reminded her of where she was currently sitting. Her back was pressed against his chest with her rump resting dangerously close to another part of his anatomy. She bit the inside of her lip and shut her eyes tightly as her cheeks heated up even more. This is ridiculous… We have sex, albeit amazing sex, one time and all of a sudden I'm a blushing schoolgirl?! I'm a warrior, damn it! I'm- Ashlin was yanked out of her thoughts when Lancer suddenly trailed his fingers up her arm.

"What are you doing?" She squeaked more than demanded, recoiling a bit.

"Jeez, you sure are jumpy today, master," he mused innocently as he picked up a washcloth and ran it over her shoulders. Ashlin shuddered at the contact.

"I can do it myself," she asserted defiantly, trying to swipe the cloth from him. He pinned her hands down easily by wrapping his free arm around her. Damn, he definitely got stronger last night.

"Its fine, I've got it," Lancer breathed into her ear. "I've been waiting a long time to do this," he continued as he trailed the washcloth gently over her neck and collarbone, and then downwards. His other arm gripped her body firmly. "The last time we were here, I controlled myself. But not this time, Ash. This time I'm going to touch you everywhere." Lancer's voice was low and rough, sending her heart racing. She sucked in a breath when his hand dropped dangerously low to ghost across her chest.

"What do you mean by 'last time'?" She asked shakily, trying to hold back a moan.

"Last time we were here, of course," Lancer replied against her neck as he kissed it. He sounded amused. "You teased me last time. You sat with your back to me, hiding everything, and expected me to control myself." Ashlin felt her eyes widen when she remembered. That was the night he carried her home, bruised and bloody, after the fight with Caster. He had drawn her a bath and then she asked him to- Oh god. That did happen, didn't it. She asked her servant, who was clearly enamored with her, to not only touch her naked body but to restrain himself from acting on every impulse surging through him at the time. Ashlin paled upon realizing Lancer was right. I am a tease. She sucked in a breath as Lancer moved his fingers down to trace circles over her stomach, leaving the washcloth abandoned.

"I believe this is where we left off," he breathed huskily into her ear before his hand drifted down to caress the milky skin of her hip and outer thigh.

"Lancer, I don't think we should- ah," Ashlin gasped when he moved to trail his fingers up her inner thigh. She clutched her legs together tightly, attempting to hinder his advance. Lancer frowned at this before smirking as a new idea came to mind. "We should be training," she tried again, ignoring every instinct in her body telling her otherwise. "We should be… I need to…" Ashlin felt her resolve crumbling quickly while her servant sucked and licked the sensitive area on her neck.

"Come on, Ash," Lancer purred as he brought his hand up to caress her breasts, feeling satisfied when she let out a moan. "Just let me have you. I promise to show you everything you missed out on last time." She felt her body getting hot at his words.

"You… are trouble," she concluded, biting back more noises.

"You have no idea," he replied with a roguish grin before tightening his grip and suddenly shifting their positions. Ashlin found her backside resting on his hips with Lancer's knees between her legs as he effective laid her across his body. The arm that had been restraining her was now draped across the front of her shoulders, granting his hand easy access to the supple flesh of her chest. Ashlin turned to look at him curiously over her shoulder.

"What are you-" Lancer cut her off with a kiss, swallowing a loud moan as he suddenly inserted a finger inside her. He began pumping in and out, massaging the sensitive bundle of nerves with his thumb as he did so. God he loved how responsive she was. Ashlin panted and whimpered into the kiss, finally breaking it to throw her head back as a wave of pleasure swept through her body. Wanting more sounds, Cú Chulainn trailed his fingers over her breasts and began to play with a pink bud before inserting a second finger, smirking when her hips thrust up to meet him. She was getting close already. Lancer could feel her walls starting to tighten and he contemplated finishing her right then. However, her next words quickly changed his mind.

"Sétanta, please," Ashlin breathed, pleading with him to continue. Feeling his body instantly react, Cú Chulainn removed his fingers and swiftly thrust himself inside her, groaning loudly when she sat up and began to move on top of him. Lancer couldn't help but admire her backside as she rolled her hips into him, and he about lost it when she glanced over her shoulder to meet his gaze. The urge hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Fuck it," he grunted before abruptly sitting up to kneel behind Ashlin. Feeling all patience leave him, Lancer grabbed her hips roughly began to thrust fast and hard, moving even faster when she cried out his name. He felt reckless and out of control. The desire to claim this woman drove him wild and it wasn't long before they both climaxed, Ashlin's name tumbling from his lips. Before he knew what he was doing, Lancer spun Ashlin around and pulled her against his chest, burying his face into her damp hair.

"Sétanta?" She questioned, sounding concerned and a little breathless while wrapping her arms around his waist. He did not respond and merely tightening his grip. Lancer grit his teeth as images of a world without his master suddenly flashed before his eyes. He imagined the Grail consuming him, forcing him to leave Ashlin behind. Cú Chulainn felt cold as an unfamiliar emotion suddenly assaulted him. This is fear, Lancer realized. His mind reeled from the revelation. It had been so long since he cared enough about something to fear losing it that he almost forgot what the emotion felt like.

"It's going to be alright," he heard Ashlin speak quietly, causing him to glance down at the small woman in his arms. Lancer felt like he was looking into a mirror as her gaze reflected his same fears. He kept his expression guarded, hiding his emotions but somehow Ashlin seemed to know. "I won't let you go without a fight," she stated calmly, quelling the turmoil inside him to a degree. "You're my partner, Sétanta. You have my heart and my loyalty, and together we are going to figure this out." She sounded determined, and Lancer allowed himself, for the briefest of moments, to believe her.