Abide

Ian was the first to open his eyes, only to find Iris glued to him, with her arm wrapped around his waist, gripping tightly on his tunic, not wanting to let go of him.

His lips curled up in a satisfied smile, and he couldn't help but hope they could return to their old life once this was over.

The life he wanted with Iris was a peaceful one, where they could enjoy the small pleasures, waking next to each other like this without having to worry about mortal enemies waiting to strike at any moment.

Iris shifted and moaned in her sleep, breaking Ian's train of thought, and making him look at her beautiful sleeping face, she looked more serene than still water.

Brushing the hair on her face, so he could see her face better, trying his best not to touch her, not wanting to wake her up since she was deeply asleep.

Ian let out a silent sigh and put his arm over his eyes, waiting for Iris to wake up. Now that he was awake, he might as well start to plan for her training and move things along quicker since the way Athan was doing it sounded more like battle training.

Knowing her emotions were the key to tapping into her powers, he had to come up with a plan that he could use to help her achieve that goal.

They didn't know each other that long and most memories they shared were happy ones, now he needed bad ones, but he only knew a few of them from her stories when she confessed to him who she was.

Hoping that what he knew would be enough to rile her up, just like Athan did, but he couldn't understand why it didn't work when he was doing it.

Feeling her hand brushing on his lips, Ian lowered his arm so that he could look at her.

" Good morning, beautiful!" he whispered, lifting his head off the pillow to look at her.

Iris smiled " Good morning!" she whispered, pushing herself up to kiss his lips.

" How are you feeling?" he softly murmured while pulling himself up to rest against the headboard, pulling her along with him, resting her on his chest.

" I'm feeling better! You?" she replied while playing the fingers resting on his chest.

" Rested! I haven't slept this well in a while!" he confessed, intertwining his finger with hers.

Iris hummed and kissed his bare skin, making Ian take a sharp breath and shakily let out.

" Iris!" he breathed out her name when he felt her lips on his skin, leaving a burning mark behind.

Iris hummed and lifted her head to look at him, only to see Ian's tortured expression.

Her lips curled up in a naughty smile since it had been days since he had touched her and with every passing day, her longing for him grew stronger and stronger. Slipping her hand under his tunic and tracing his abdominal muscles with her fingers, she felt him stiffen under her touch, and his breath hitched when she kissed his neck.

" Stop, please!" he pleaded in a pained voice while placing his hand on her.

" No!" she huffed, a little frustrated at his refusal to touch her; she couldn't believe how stubborn he was about this, even after she had told him that she wasn't upset about it and understood that it wasn't his fault.

Ian's forehead creased, and he cupped her face, looking into her in the eyes " I don't want to do that to you again!" he confessed in a pained voice, bumping his forehead into hers.

" You won't!" she huffed with a pout, seeing that his features were almost back to normal and his eyes were almost entirely amber; she knew that the effects of the sword were fading away since he hadn't completed the transformation.

Ian let out a shaky sigh; he was finding it hard to hold back as it was, not to touch her and have her. He closed his eyes, trying to take hold of himself and to account how he was feeling, remembering well how he felt that day; it was a wild feeling, he felt overpowered by his instincts, and he behaved like a savage without any regard to her.

He couldn't believe that he had done that to her, to the woman he loved, that he had treated her in such a way; what he did to her, in his eyes, was unforgivable, and he couldn't help but be haunted by the memory of it.

Feeling her soft lips on his, the last thread of willpower broke and surrendered to the feeling of pleasure he had longed for, capturing her lips that he had missed so much, nibbling and sucking on them as if his life depended on them.

Ian's stubbornness had finally subsided, and he caved into her plea. Iris couldn't help but feel relieved and, at the same time, happy that she could finally be with him like she had wanted.

Ian slipped his hand under the covers that travelled up her thigh under the night dress, settling on her waist and pulling her closer to him.

Lost in the ravenous kiss, Iris's hands roamed all over him, touching every inch of his body, feeling her longing for him still was unsatiable, and she wasn't satisfied with just that; she wanted more.

" I've missed you so much!" he breathed out in a shaky voice, pulling away from the kiss, lightly panting.

Iris smiled " I've-.." Ian captured her lips again before she could respond, wrapping his hand at the back of her head, making Iris moan into the ravenous kiss, feeling his sense of reason slowly slip away.

He slowly pulled away from the kiss, peppering soft kisses on her jaw, neck and shoulders, trying to be as gentle as possible and showing her how much he loved her.

Iris ran her fingers through his hair, his lips left behind a blazing trail wherever they touched her, and she felt her depths moisten and clench; her body fervently screamed at her for him to take her.

Ian pushed the strap to her night dress that was resting on her shoulder, letting it fall off to reveal her generous breast that called at him to suck on it; his eyes slowly moved up to her neck and lingered for a bit on her quivering red plump lips, to settle on her eyes, where he could see the same lust and yearning in her eyes that he felt.

Iris bit her lips at the promise he held in his eyes and the battle he fought with himself to control his hunger and desire for her. Seeing his Adam's apple bob, she now knew that Ian was thinking of leaving the bed to avoid repeating the same as before.

" It will be alright!" her whisper broke the silence, making Ian snap out of his daze and return to the present.

" I don't want to hurt you!" he confessed, tracing her lips with his thumb, looking a little sullen.

" You won't!" she firmly replied, convinced that she would be alright; even if the remaining effects of the sword still lingered in his body, she was confident that he wouldn't hurt her.

Iris leaned in, softly kissing his lips while Ian finally let go of his restraint and pulled on the night dress and ripped it off Iris like it was a piece of paper while pulling her closer to him.

Iris moaned in the kiss when she felt his hand slip between her legs and carresed her folds, entering her core, sliding in and out of her, while she gripped tight on his tunic, biting at his lips.

Ian hissed when he felt her teeth draw blood from his lips, making him pull away from the kiss and look at Iris with questioning eyes.

Iris's lips curled up in a naughty smile " I'm not made of glass!" she warned while fisting his tunic, crashing her lips onto his and straddling him.

Iris lowered his pants just enough for his member to stand up to attention and unconsciously licked and bit her lips at the sight of his pulsating cock

Ian was a bit taken aback by Iris's shift in behaviour, but at the same time, he did enjoy it whenever she took control in the bed; her feisty and domineering attitude made him even harder, and she looked more enticing than ever.

In his eyes, despite her soft and kind nature, Iris was a passionate and fiery woman in bed, and he loved to see that side of her, seeing her take control and do as she pleased with him.

She pulled on his tunic, lifting it over his head, throwing it on the floor, tracing his abdominal muscles, licking and biting at his skin; she sprinkled kisses on his chest and abdomen, stopping at his member and taking his length into her hand.

She looked up at him, her lips pulled up in a naughty smile, while her tongue ran from the hilt of his cock to the tip, making Ian moan and hiss at the feeling of her tongue on his member.

" Iris..." he called her name in a shaky voice while grabbing his hair and gently pulling at it.

She licked his tip, running her tongue over the rim and taking it into her mouth, voraciously sucking on it. At the same time, Ian moaned and squirmed, gripping at his hair and the bed sheet while Iris sucked him and licked him, herself moaning and feeling her arousal increase as her core dripped with her juices.

Feeling his release approaching, he grunted and groaned. In one swift move, he pulled Iris up and flipped her on the bed with him, looming over her and thrusting into her core, making Iris moan and arch her back at the burst of the sudden pleasure that she felt when he penetrated her.

" Ian...haaa!" she breathed out while Ian slowly pulled and pushed himself out of her, his eyes on her pleasured face, biting her lips and softly moaning.

" Iris...by all Gods, you are amazing!" he praised while he buried his head in the crook of her neck, spreading his seed inside her womb, revelling in the bliss of being with her.

Kissing the crook after her neck, " It feels so good being with you!" he murmured against her skin, gently thrusting himself into her core.

" Ian....ahhh!" she moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist and grinding herself against him.

She felt that Ian was holding back and he was being too gentle and treating her like she would break. She enjoyed his slow pace, but the fact that he held back, for her sake, annoyed her a little since she wasn't a fragile little thing, and she had lived through worse things than that.

In one swift move, she flipped him on his back, straddling him, taking control and at the same time showing him that she wasn't as feeble as he thought.

Her breath hitched a little when Ian pulled himself up and latched on her breast, sucking on it while his other hand went on her bottom, squeezing it and gently guiding himself into her to the hilt

Ian moaned and grunted when she slowly started swaying on top, feeling his tip poke at her womb and her walls tighten around his cock, making him loosen his grip on her for a moment at the sheer pleasure he felt.

She wrapped her hands at the back of his head while sucking on her breast and revelled in the waves of pleasure that washed over her with every thrust. She picked her pace, arching her back and calling his name relentlessly like a prayer.

" Oh, Iris....hmmm!" he moaned against her breast, feeling his body about to turn into dust at how she swayed on top of him, and she looked so winsome while doing it.

She looked breathtaking, her curves were maddeningly delicious, and he couldn't satisfy his hunger for her; no matter how many times he had, had her, he couldn't get enough of her.

Iris's body swayed gracefully while she held onto him as he looked at her mesmerising beauty with loving eyes.

She felt raptured by the feelings Ian awakened in her; his touch left behind an electrifying sensation, and she was addicted to it; she was addicted to him. She felt alive more than ever in his arms, and now she had realised that he was the reason why she felt that way.

Iris rocked faster and deeper, feeling the heat in her womb rising and her walls tightening around his throbbing member while their moans were the only thing that echoed in the chamber.

One loud moan escaped her lips, and her body fell on Ian's shoulder, breathless, feeling his member spreading his seed inside, her walls clenched tightly around his cock; in pleasurable pain.

Ian let himself go on the bed with Iris on top of him, panting and covered in sweat..

Iris was the only person that filled his thoughts, feeling elated and a little taken aback at how good it felt to be with her. He couldn't believe his luck to have met a woman like her and how sublime she was, and at that thought, he could feel his member harden again and throb at one single thought of his wife.

Ian groaned, gently caressing her " Iris, how are you feeling?" his voice came as a whisper, bringing her back from the lethargy she had fallen, lifting her head to look at him half asleep.

" Good!' she replied in a soft voice while turning her head to lay on her other cheek.

" Do you want to feel better?" he cheekily said while fiddling with a strand of her hair.

Iris hummed, and before she even had a chance to lay her head back down, she was on her back with him looming over her, grinning from ear to ear. Ian bit his lip, grabbing her hips; he sheathed himself, making Iris moan, and the sleep vanished in a heartbeat; suddenly, she felt more awake than ever.

" Ian... mmmm!" she moaned while feeling him thrust into her dripping core, filling her to the brim.

Ian grunted and moaned while he kept his eyes on Iris, that writhed and squirmed under him, arching her back and moaning while she kneaded her breasts.

A loud knock on the door broke through their moans, making Ian curse the person behind it.

" Iris, it's time for the next session!" Athan's voice boomed from behind the door, making Iris snap from her pleasured daze and look at the door and then at Ian, who stopped what he was doing and looked rather displeased with the interruption.

" I will be out in a moment!" Iris's squeaked while she looked at the door and then again at Ian, that scowled at the door.

" I will see you in the garden!" Athan beseeched while Iris let out a breath of relief for not having to leave right that instant. " He has the worst timing!" he huffed, annoyed; Ian's sour mood dissipated when he turned his attention back to Iris, who now looked a little guilty.

" I think I'm late; that's why he is here!" she whispered, giggling and letting her head down on the bed.

" Hmm...and I still feel a little peckish!" Ian retorted in an amused tone while he resumed thrusting into her core, catching her by surprise.

Iris moaned and squirmed, feeling his cock thrust deeper and faster than before, taking her to the realm of pleasure.

Ian let out a loud groan, feeling his release approaching; he filled her with his seed that now trickled out of her core onto the bed.

Iris hummed and swallowed, feeling breathless and now a little tired and in no mood to deal with Athan and his never-ending badgering.

Ian got off the bed and padded across the room to the bathroom, but to his surprise, when he opened the door, the bath water was still a block of ice, and there was no way that they could wash up quick enough and go out to meet Athan in a reasonable amount of time.

He pulled a towel, soaking it in water from one of the washing bowls in the bathroom and returned to the chamber to clean Iris, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed, sulking.

" The water, it's still frozen!" he commented while wiping Iris with the wet towel and then himself, throwing it on the bed.

Iris giggled, hearing Ian's words, " I'll deal with it later!" she absently replied while getting up from the bed and following Ian to the chest of drawers and picking up a tunic and a pair of pants.

" I'll come with you! Maybe I can be of some help!" he offered while slipping into his trousers and tunic, making his way to where Iris was in front of the mirror.

" I will have to wear a dress!" she absently replied while looking through the drawers.

" Mhm! I've noticed that now it's starting to show!" he pointed out while standing behind her in front of the mirror and placing his hands on her swollen belly.

" Because of our connection with Arkathira, babies take less time to grow!" she informed while pulling on the hem of her dress.

" What do you mean?" he curiously asked while looking at her reflection in the mirror.

" We will have a baby in our arms before the summer ends!" she explained while staring at his reflection and couldn't help but be amused by his shocked expression.

" That soon! I'm not ready!" he hurriedly exclaimed while placing his palms over his face; feeling distressed at the news, he thought he had more time.

" No one is!" she deadpanned while turning around to look at him, feeling a little sorry for him.

" It will be alright, you will see! Will just have to see what happens!" she softly added while couldn't help but still feel amused at his reaction to the news.

" Come before Athan comes back and drags us out himself!" she encouraged, dragging Ian by the hand, out of the chamber and through the corridors leading to the garden.

Ian absently followed Iris and couldn't help but be scared at the thought of caring for another being that would come sooner than he had expected, a child he had no knowledge of how to care for.

Sithrians were wildly different compared to humans; if the child had been human, he would have had no trouble with those, but as a sithrian child, he couldn't imagine what that would be like.

" Thank you for taking the time to join me!" Athan sarcastically welcomed them, snapping Ian out of his daze and scowling at him for being so annoying first thing in the morning.

" What's with the long face?" Athan curiously asked while looking at Ian, that had a sour expression plastered on his face.

" It turns out I will be holding a baby in my arms by the end of the summer!" Ian commented while looking a little rattled by the news that Iris dropped on him out of the blue.

Athan chuckled " Don't worry; he won't be a baby for too long!" he countered while his eyes settled on Iris, biting her lip to contain a smile.

" What? How is that even possible?" Ian retorted while looking over his shoulder at Iris, who quickly schooled her expressions and seemed dead serious.

Athan let a wry chuckle " Sithrians are born out of pure magic; we do not abide by the laws of nature; we make the laws of nature! When children are born, they grow tenfold faster than human children do!" he explained, looking intently at Ian whose expressions changed from surprised to sullen and then annoyed in a matter of seconds.

" Enough with listless talk; we don't have time to waste!" Athan beseeched while pacing in front of them, with his hands behind his back, looking presumptuous.

" If you want to know more about sithrian children, I can recommend some reading material while Iris and I continue to train!" he continued in the same tone of voice, displaying the same arrogance.

Ian chucked" I didn't think you had it in you!" he confessed while turning to look at Iris, who looked grave and a little frustrated.

Athan stopped pacing and turned to look at Ian, who closed the distance between them, stopping in front of him.

Ian raised his hand and snapped his finger, and a flickering flame appeared on his index finger, making Athan gape and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

Ian opened the palm of his hand, and the flame travelled down;settling in his palm, quickly increasing its size to a ball of fire that hovered in his hand. Athan took his eyes off the ball of fire to look at Ian, who had a satisfied smile plastered on his face

Athan opened his mouth to speak " I think I will train Iris while you brush up on your general knowledge since your memory seems to play tricks on you more often than not", Ian smirked, cutting Athan off before he even had a chance to utter any words.