By the Seaside (R15)

A fanfic submitted by one of our lovely readers!

Author: yellowmarigolds

Rated: R15, contains some sexually suggestive content

Premise: Some point in the unknown future, Tara and Kyle make up for lost time in an idyllic seaside town after [FUTURE SPOILER].

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Kyle opened his eyes.

The dawn light filtered through the tartan curtains of the little room. Pine wood walls, a white-washed dresser, a pitcher for water. The corner of his lip crept up as he spotted her slip dangling precariously from the pitcher handle and his trousers thrown over the back of the chair.

Tara.

He turned his head to the side where she lay, tucked into the corner of his arm, a warm and comfortable presence. In the gathering light, her hair captured the deep glow of the sun coming over the horizon. She sighed and opened her mouth slightly and let out a small snore. Kyle suppressed a chuckle. Her arms and cheeks had acquired a tan with a dusting with freckles from her time in this seaside town, barely visible right now. Tendrils of hair ran down her back, still creamy where skin had been covered. His eyes lingered on the swell of her breast, remembering the weight and curve of it in his palm as he made love to her the night before. Her thighs as they clenched around him and the nails raking down his back. He took in a deep breath. Her scent filled his nostrils and he felt himself harden; a mingling of the orange blossoms she used in her bathwater, the light spice of her skin, the salty musk of her arousal still on the sheets.

Kyle couldn’t take it any longer. He wriggled his arm around her gently so that he could cup her close and gently kissed her cheeks, working down to her neck.

“Tara,” he whispered.

“…Mmm.”

The reply was heavy with sleep.

“Tara, wake up.” He buried his nose in her hair, breathed in, then nipped her earlobe.

“…Mmm?” Her lids fluttered open, her gaze drowsy then sharpening slowly. Tara caught the glint of hunger in his eyes and opened her eyes more widely. She raised herself up on her elbow and stared outside where the silvered clouds were flecked with pink and orange. Birds had begun calling in the sky.

“It’s not even risen properly ye-,”

He caught her in a kiss, gently sucking on her lower lip, then deepening it.

His voice had a deep undercurrent to it as he replied. “I’ve got five days to do the things I’ve been dreaming of doing for five months. We are not wasting any time.” He followed this up with another kiss as he raised himself up on his elbow and buried his hand in her curls. She sighed and pressed herself up against him, and he felt himself harden further as her nipples grazed his chest. Her arms wound round his neck like a vine, and he lost herself in her soft lips. All of a sudden, his world flipped as she pushed him back onto the pillows and climbed nimbly on top of him.

“What you’ve been dreaming of?” Tara’s voice was husky. He felt his breath catch in his throat. The first rays of the sun caught the copper glints in her hair and made her pale skin glow golden. “What about what I’ve been dreaming of doing to you?”

---------

The sun was a good distance from the horizon when they finally made it out of the house. Kyle loved the feel of her small hand wrapped in his as they strolled along the cliff to a little sheltered wood. She had changed into a cotton dress and put her hair back with a ribbon that matched the blue of her eyes. For five months, he had waited patiently, biding his time till Andrei had sent a message.

A certain book-shop minding apprentice has asked if you would have any business in the South in the next few weeks. She also writes that she has gotten a shipment of interesting rare books from the Far East and would like to discuss them with you.

On receiving the message, he had immediately cleared his schedule for the next week. Within the hour, he was saddled up and ready to go. He knew better than to bring anyone with him but his Knight Commanders had protested, saying that at least one of them had better accompany him, especially as his Majesty was not informed of this trip and was he not the Crown Prince of Oceria? Heads would roll if His Majesty found out the Crown Prince had been allowed to leave unescorted. Kyle had relented and allowed Walter to accompany him, seeing as he had been the closest to Tara, but gave him strict orders to remain in the castle till called for. Walter had been mulish but agreed. It wasn’t up to him, but to Tara to decide who she wanted to see. Kyle would give her whatever she wanted.

Tara had been sitting with a couple of the younger village children under a tree, surrounded by books and papers, when he clattered into the courtyard and tied his horse up to the fence. She jumped up, her mouth an O of surprise and ran over to him.

“I knew you’d want to come quickly, but I thought perhaps..!” She turned to the two kids beneath the tree. “Kids, we’ll continue the lesson tomorrow alright?”

The children – a 12 year old girl with her blonde hair braided tight and a boy who looked a couple years younger nodded and stared at the visitor with unveiled curiosity. Kyle was somewhat pleased at their reaction, which told him Tara hadn’t entertained many male guests recently.

“Come, help me bring this in!” Tara said, briskly stacking up books.

Kyle looked curiously at the top one as he led his horse to the trough and hitched the reins to the fence.

“Art of War?” He said in a low tone as the kids rushed to do her bidding. “Isn’t that a little heavy for their age?”

“You of all people shouldn’t judge,” she chided, then added smugly, “Perhaps they’ve just got a good teacher.”

The kids had placed their books back on the table in the bookshop and darted back out with waves and sneaky smiles. “Bye teacher, don’t stay out too late!”

“Cheeky..!” She said after their retreating backs.

Kyle’s gaze didn’t leave Tara’s face. He found himself at a loss of words. What to say? I missed you? I’ve dreamed of you almost every night? I love you? Tara raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

“Done ogling?” she said.

“… I’ve just not been able to see you,” he replied. Even as the words came out, they hung awkwardly in the air. He cursed himself for such inanity. Five months, and this was the best he could do?

“I missed you,” he added.

A faint flush stained her cheeks. “Well, I really did have a couple books I wanted to show you, but I guess that can wait..”

The look in her eyes had been invitation enough for him. He caught her up in his arms and kissed her.

The rest of the afternoon had been spent lingering in sweet intimacy. Every time she tried to leave the tangle of sheets, he would catch a wrist, and ankle and drag her back to him. Her mouth was like an oasis, and he drink like a parched wanderer. They had paused for dinner and he had lit the fire for a bath for them, before heading back into the bedroom for another round. With each sighing breath, with each touch, he healed the hole her absence had left.

----

They found their comfortable spot within the wood. Far below the waves crashed on the limestone boulders and birds circled the rock pools. Olive trees broke most of the wind but let a brisk breeze through. This had become somewhat their habit, to start the day with breakfast in the wood alone, before returning to open the shop. He had come to enjoy the stillness of the morning and the simple pleasure of watching her eat.

“How’s the arm?” Tara said, snuggling on his right side and offering him a bite of the pastry she had.

“Better.” He showed her his left arm. “I’ve got some of the flexibility back, but the strength seems to be taking longer. Mm. This is good.” He regarded the pastry with raised eyebrows.

Tara smiled smugly. “It’s a new baker in town. I’ve asked her to supply the shop with some pastries; a delivery comes by every morning with a freshly baked batch.”

“Mm. You shouldn’t have told me. I might just take the whole batch back.”

“And risk that waistline?” She scoffed, liberating the pastry from his hands.

“Tara..,” he paused, unsure how to continue. “I might need to drop in to check the mail today. Walter mentioned before I left – there were some important documents he was sending on to the castle. We kind of left in a hurry.”

He watched her eyes closely and saw the flicker of realization that he had not arrived alone. An uneasy tension built in his centre.

“Walter is here.”

“Yes. At the castle. And he will stay there until I return to the Capital.” His reply was firm, but he feared that he had presumed too much – after all, at their last parting she had firmly rejected having letters delivered by the Phoenix Knights and insisted on conveying messages through Andrei.

She was quiet for a while, inspecting his face. Finally, she replied, “Why doesn’t he bring them to the shop in the afternoon? I’ve got work to do as well, we might as well work in tandem.”

Relief crashed over him and he broke out in a smile.

“Right.”

As they finished their pastries, he filled her in on the latest escapades Jason Elias had gotten himself into on his return to the capital. Then they dusted their hands and walked back to her place. The sun was warm on his skin, and for the first time in months, he could feel an answering smile coming to his face.

___ Thank you to yellowmarigolds for their fanfic! Show them some love!

- Thama's Edits Team