Sandstorm [ACOTOR series side story]

Forty-one

A/n: I know I've already put a lot of time skips in the story so far but I feel like there is nothing to say about Nashira during the second war because that was the Night Court's time to shine. So I'll be continuing the story to after the war has ended, but in the version where Rhys 'dies' like in my other fanfiction.

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Screaming was all that he could hear, sweat was all he could feel, tears was all he could taste and blood is all he could smell. Screaming, and screaming and that awful screaming still rung in his head after the Cauldron was cleaved and remade. The screaming of that lost bond, losing the other half of your soul, losing-

"Kaimuzu wake up!"

Nashira watched as Kaimuzu jolted awake from the nightmare that had him shaking and sweaty. His confused eyes looked to her in one of the oversized shirts she wore to sleep and the two braids she had her hair in to keep it contained. She continued to look over him as he surveyed their room in their oasis estate and the books and weapons littered across it. She let him remind himself of where he was in the world and sat up with a soft sigh. Even if it was too early in the mourning for them to be awake, she knew she wouldn't be sleeping for a long while. 

"It was the screaming again, wasn't it?"

"I can't help it," he sighs as he also sat up in the sheets bare-chested rubbing at his stubbled face.

"They keep on blending into how I was close to feeling Under the Mountain when you were chained up and I could only watch and pray for you. Would I have sounded like that if you had died then? Would I feel as empty as she looked if you disappeared?"

Nashira couldn't take the look in her mate's eyes and crushed him in an embrace as she tried to force some warmth back into him. It was an added bonus that she crushed his face into her well-endowed chest as an extra incentive. He hugged her back but pulled back too soon for Nashira. She discovered that she disliked war because she always went to bed exhausted so she couldn't spend some quality time with her mate.

"Hey you okay, I didn't wake you up from my thrashing, did I?"

Nashira snapped her mind out of the gutter immediately after Kaimuzu's soft question.

"Like I can't take a few hits," she scoffed at him. But that only caused him to flinch and she realized that that was the wrong thing to say. Okay, not the time for distraction and boldness, got it she thought.

"Do you want to hear what I think?" Kaimuzu nodded his head in silent reply to her question.

"I think you love me very much, I think that you worry about me and my safety too much, and I think that I'm so lucky to have you for a mate. Where I'm silent and brooding, you're cheeky and social. We match each other perfectly for some reason even though I'm as rough as a sandstorm and you're as cool as an oasis in the desert. But I'm your storm and you're my safe haven, so you won't be seeing me leaving anytime soon. " 

Kaimuzu smiled weakly but appeared to be less anxious and worried than before after her honest opinion, but he still seemed tired. These nightmares have been plaguing him the past two weeks since they'd returned from the war for good. They were supposed to be taking a break, but Kaimuzu went to heal injured soldiers and civilians every day despite that. It's taken a toll on him as he had constant dark circles from all the work and the lack of quality rest since the battles had started. He'd always brush her off saying a healer's job was never done, but she knew better. He was trying to cope with the war with extra work, she knew because that was what she had done after the war 500 years ago. And with the determination to see her mate rest, Nashira smiled a mischevious smile at him before using one of her dirty tricks on him. 

"Get some sleep Kai, I'll go start breakfast and we can go to help out with rebuilding the city later. A day's labour should exhaust you into unconsciousness tonight I'd say." She left the room after she watched him curl up with the sheets around like a cocoon and she couldn't help but squeal in her head at how adorable it was. Nashira didn't bother with proper clothes as she slipped on her slippers and walked to the kitchen. 

Nashira was glad that she insisted that she take cooking classes from the girls at the college and from Kaimuzu's mother, or else she would have made stews and roasted meat for the rest of her life. And spiced rice, Cauldron forsake any Day Court resident who didn't know how to make spiced rice for they'd just eat bland grains each meal with no change. Nashira sang as she cooked and moved about the kitchen, stubbing her toes in the process, but she couldn't help but dance as she sang. It was when she was placing the last dish on the dining table they ate at, that she felt arms wrap around her waist and a soft kiss be placed on her forehead.

"It looks great Ira." Nashira grinned and they dug into the feast she'd made of all of her and Kaimuzu's favourite foods.

"So, when are we leaving?" Kaimuzu asked after he'd cleared the dishes and tidied up the estate a bit. They liked to split up the work in the estate between each other but they still called in a maid once a week to clean to common areas to keep on top of the sand always getting in.

Nashira looked up from her book and raised an eyebrow at him, "What are you talking about?"

"You said we would go to rebuild the city after breakfast."

"I never said today."

"Fine, then I'll just go to the clinic and see if they need my help," he huffed in annoyance. She only hummed in response and waited.

Kaimuzu got dressed in one of his sleeveless tops, loose pants and a light robe in anticipation of the heat of the capital and the hard work he'd be doing. She heard him walk down the hall to the front entrance and heard the slight thunk of him opening the main doors to the estate. Not too soon after he returned to the room with a frown on his face.

"Nashira, why'd you lock us into the mirror realm? You know I can't go to work if I'm not in the same dimension as my patients." Nashira snapped her book shut and gave him a scrutinizing stare. She got up and sashayed her way over to him and cornered him against the wall, leaning towards his ear.

"You're not leaving this room until I feel like you won't collapse if I take my eyes off you for a minute. So, don't even think of the outside world right now and take a break."

"But I don't want to," he growled as his pupils dilated from her presence and how little she was wearing that moment.

"Then you're just going to have to convince me," she purred before shooting out of the room. All she heard was a loud growl and pounding steps as confirmation that their game of hide-and-seek was on and that her aroused mate was chasing her.

Nashira would get that special quality mate time of hers after all.