Between the Gods and Us

The Morning After

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114 AC

Month Three

Harwin

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Harwin stirred awake while it was still dark, feeling more sated and content than he had in recent memory. His evening with Rhaenyra– gods, there were truly no words to describe how he felt. It had been on the tip of his tongue to reveal the depth of his feelings for her, overwhelmed as he was feeling the heat of her cunt around his cock for the first time. Though she had seemed to feel overwhelmed as well, he would not delude himself into thinking she shared his exact sentiments.

There was no doubt in his mind that it would frighten her to know that he loved her. She had been so skittish and unsure of his feelings that admitting to anything too serious would likely make her distance herself. Perhaps there would never be a time to tell her, and that was something Harwin would have to live with.

He had been content to admire her from afar, and so he was content with loving her quietly. It was enough that she allowed him to hold her in his arms, to be her companion and spend his nights and days with her. Should she ever wish to hear his feelings, however, he would be more than happy to tell her.

His hand slid across the cool sheets, reaching for Rhaenyra so he could tug her against his chest, but there was no one beside him in the bed. The space next to him that Rhaenyra had been occupying when he fell asleep was empty and he sat up, looking around the room. She was curled up on the chaise by her fire, her robe wrapped snugly around her. He watched her in silence for a few moments, committing to memory how beautiful she looked lit by the flames, how adorable it was that she was silently mouthing words from the pages she was reading.

"What are you doing out of bed?" He attempted to keep his tone soft, but she still jolted slightly at the sound of his voice, turning to face him.

"I could not find sleep," she explained, closing her book and setting it to the side.

"Is everything alright?" He worried that she might regret their actions, would tell him that they had gone too far and could never do so again. He had not meant to fall asleep in her bed, perhaps it was all too much too soon.

"Yes," she nodded, standing and coming towards him. Her robe was untied, revealing her bare skin to him as the fabric shifted with each step. She looked achingly beautiful, her hair slightly mussed, small red marks along her chest and torso from his teeth and lips. It would not be too soon for him to lie with her again, to spend as much time as she would allow kissing every inch of her, marking her where no one would see. "I am not used to having a man in my bed." Even in the dim lighting, he could make out the blush dusting her cheeks.

"I can leave, if you'd like. I am sorry if I overstayed." She sat on the edge of the bed beside him, taking his hands into hers, and the way she brushed her thumb over his knuckles reassured him that she had no desire for him to leave, that he was allowing his worrying thoughts to overtake him. He leaned in, wanting to be closer to her. The bedcovers pooled at his waist, and he watched as her focus shifted, eyes trailing down his torso.

"No, that's not..." she trailed off, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. Harwin's attention dropped to the motion, longing to replace her teeth with his. She suddenly seemed much shyer than she had the night before, and he wondered what was bothering her.

"You can tell me if something is wrong," he assured her as she toyed with his fingers, gently examining the digits.

"I awoke wanting you again," she said, ducking her head to avoid looking at him. "You were asleep so I..." she gestured towards the chaise. "I was only trying to distract myself since I could not go back to sleep with you beside me. It was far too distracting."