Chapter Text
He’s left.
All across the Forelands I have followed him. I found him, a short few moons ago, lying prone and exposed on the north side of the mountain. It was then, while examining his body, that I saw them: the treasure I have so desperately sought all my life! The legendary golden acorns! My goal was within sight, and cautiously, I approached. I tried to get at them, but this spoken’s method of defending the acorns was deceptively simple; he was holding them beneath his skin, just between his legs! But just as I was contemplating how to get to them, the man awoke and stood up, forcing me to make my escape.
But I could not give up! The holder of the acorns had to yield his treasure somehow! So throughout his travails, I watched him from afar, waiting for some sign of a clue of how to coax my prize out of him. Even as he sought out the marching ant-like people and found clothes to hide his skin, I watched and waited patiently.
But I could not have anticipated other spoken coming to take him away.
This was most unexpected. Tracking and following them would prove beyond difficult, but I was prepared to leave my homeland for the sake of my goal. I followed them across a frozen hellscape, until I came to a forest of crystal and stone where his scent was the strongest: the deep chambers of a mysterious cave with square caverns. And there I lied in wait for his return.
I would take my nuts from him.
-
During the time that the traitorous Crystal Braves maintained control of the Rising Stones, they had laid the lobby to waste; the returning Scions were horrified to see their headquarters looking like Garuda unleashed a tempest inside. Everywhere they stepped was littered with broken vases and bottles and tableware strewn about, the stench of alcohol pervading the air. It had taken days of work to get the place to a livable condition again. But for a mercy, Minfilia had the foresight to lock the door that led upstairs to their personal chambers before leaving to go to the ill-fated banquet in Ul’dah. And somehow the Braves managed to miss the key stored in the bookshelf drawer, nor did it occur to them to break down the door. Thus, everyone’s rooms had all gone untouched, albeit rather dusty. But there wasn’t much joy to be had at first at this reclamation; after all, the majority of the rooms still remained unoccupied.
Fortunately, that changed when Y’shtola re-entered the Stones at long last, and a great celebration was to be had. The same was true now with Thancred; he was welcomed back to the Rising Stones with an extravagant (for the Scions’ limited coin, at least) feast, much like the one that followed his return to the Waking Sands after Operation Archon. On both occasions, it was the most that the bard had eaten in a long time, so he scarfed down as much food as he could. And on both occasions, he and the Warrior of Light, Rahela Uillces, could scarce stand be separated for even a moment; holding hands, leaning on each other, and hugging at every opportunity. Even after the party had wound down and everyone else had gone to bed, they cuddled together, content and enjoying the feeling of both the fullness in their bellies and the closeness they’ve missed for so long.
Finally Thancred broke the silence and murmured into a fuzzy ear, “So, Rah, are you ready to head upstairs…?”
Rahela purred her agreement, and much like their first night together, headed upstairs hand-in-hand. Coming to the bard’s room, they opened the door for the first time in ages. With an almost boyish glee, Thancred sprinted inside and hurtled himself on top of the bed, landing on his back, with legs hanging off the side.
“Ah, home! Sweet home! Beds, blankets, everything I’ve been missing!” Thancred grinned, stripping out of his clothes; (including the black strip of cloth that remained over his left eye) leather and fabric were carelessly flung every which way across the room. Now letting out a sigh of relief to be in only his smallclothes, he stretched out his arms and arched his back until it popped, and then flopped back down. Lazily he raised an arm to beckon to the mage. “Dearest Rah, love of my life, won’t you come lie down with me?”
Rahela was already walking over after closing the door behind her, but at his invitation, she closed the gap with a running leap, crashing onto the bed beside him. She shed her own clothes as well, until she was down to the regular camise and pantalettes she always wore under her adventuring gear.
Thancred wasted no time wrapping her up in a tight hug and entangling his fingers within her hair, breathing deep her scent and slowly, contentedly, exhaling. Rah returned the favor, nuzzling her forehead under his neck and running her hand up and down his back. There they lay, touching and exploring for a short while, both getting reacquainted with the other’s body, seeing what had changed and what remained the same.
The bard’s skin had turned several shades darker during his time in the wilderness, accruing more than a few scars, one or two looking almost fresh. His long pure-white hair, now loose from the tight braid it had been in before, was still slightly damp from the shower he’d taken before dinner, and smelled of rolanberry shampoo. But perhaps the most notable change, one that Rah would dare not pry into, was his left eye, now white and frosted over like Y’shtola’s. She would, however, complain about the scraggly white fuzz growing on his chin if it scratched her in any vital places over the course of the night. Meanwhile, Thancred noticed that Rahela had gained a few new scars of her own, that she may have lost some weight, and her legs more toned than he remembered. They’d both put on some muscle, but at this moment it was hard to tell due to the distention in their bellies. (Which was only to be expected, considering the vast quantities of food they’d just devoured.)
Together they lay in silence, interspersed with the occasional sounds of sighs or kisses. The comfort of being in each other's arms again after spending so long fearing for the other's safety was enough right now. Finally Rah spoke up. “I don’t think I’ve seen you eat that much since the first time you sampled Higiri’s cooking.”
“Mm. And still I want more,” he replied. “But after such a perfectly delicious, filling feast, there’s only one thing I wish to eat, and only you can provide it for me.”
“What’s that?”
“Oh, I believe you know,” the Archon teased, breaking into a grin, running his hands down to knead at the flesh of Rah’s hips. “It’s practically my favorite food: soft, pink and supple, the sweetest, most succulent meat I’ve ever tasted.” The longer Thancred kept talking and the further inward his hands travelled, the more Rahela got an idea of what he was talking about, and she felt her face heating up, burying it in her hands out of embarrassment. “Do you need more hints?”
“Mm-hmm,” came the muffled reply.
She heard him snickering, his voice practically singsong as calloused fingertips ghosted over her stomach before slipping under the waistband of her undergarments. “Delicate, tender, fragrant, with a tiny little mole right next to it, and almost as cute as its owner.”
Finally his attempts to fluster her were met with success, in the form of a hand pushing his face away. “
Staaaaaahp
.”
“Aww, as you wish.” He let out a mischievous chuckle, but he relented at last, withdrawing his hands to more innocent territory around her waist, and placing a gentle peck atop Rah’s fingers, attempting to coax out her blushing face.
Another muffled reply; “You’re so embarrassing .”
“And in spite of that, you love me anyway.”
Rah peeked out from behind her fingers at his grin, which had gotten a little less smug and a little more sincere. Finally the tension in her face broke, and she burst into giggles, hugging him back, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his shoulder. “I missed you so much. Even your silly flirting.”
“And I missed you. Especially your adorable, flustered reactions to my silly flirting.” Of course, there were hidden meanings beneath their banter. For it had been nearly a year since Thancred and Rahela had their first time together, when she had spent the prior days and even weeks fraught with anxieties about the future, and he had a mind to ease her worries; and then the very day after was when matters began to spiral out of control with the Crystal Braves and the Keeper of the Lake and Moenbryda and the siege of Ishgard and then… But they both knew what the other meant when they said they’d missed each other for so long, and didn't want to spoil it with words. Neither wanted to talk about sad things right now; for now they could just be playful and flirtatious with each other and pretend that nothing had changed since before. “… But in all seriousness, if would you prefer to just continue cuddling like this, then I really will stop with the innuendo. Upon my honor.”
Rah took a moment to weigh her options, and finally decided, “No, don't stop…”
“So you do want to take it farther? I won't do anything unless you consent to it.”
“Yes, I do want to, it's just…” She hesitated, thinking of the best way to phrase it. “It's been such a long time, I don't know if I'll be any good.”
Then the rogue tilted up his lover’s chin, their lips but a few ilms apart. He murmured, a patient yet mischievous smile curling his lips upwards, “If you need a refresher on intimacy, I'd be only too happy to oblige.”
Rah answered his offer by closing the gap between them, dismissing her silent worries.
With permission now granted, Thancred set to work, pulling off the remainder of their smallclothes and slipping in his tongue to greet hers. His hands soon wandered to Rahela’s breasts, and he sighed into her mouth, kneading and squeezing them, his calloused fingers having not lost their skill with handling a woman. The lips separated, but Thancred’s moved elsewhere, leaving a trail of butterfly kisses meandering about her neck and collarbone, down until they reached between her sternum. It was a slightly odd feeling for Rah when the rogue pressed his head in between her breasts for a few moments, but that was followed by a quick succession of pinches and sucklings to her nipples, and his toying was met with a soft, breathy moan. Her own fingers entwined in his long white hair, and she involuntarily clenched with fistfuls of his hair in her hand, which in turn caused him to moan. Yet still he played with her bust, kneading the soft mounds with an almost reverent expression. “I still can't believe something so soft and smooth could exist in this realm,” he sighed, nuzzling and kissing her flesh.
His kisses tickled, and she giggled, pulling her torso away from his grasp, instead moving to tease him. Tease him with kisses along his jawline, moving down to one of his favorite spots: the sensitive skin baring his Sage brand. Not only could she hear the pleased sounds he made, she could feel them, whenever she nipped and licked and suckled, she could feel the vibrations in his throat. Meanwhile, her hands wandered as well: starting with massaging his shoulders, then caressing his warm, muscular chest, slowly moving to wrap around to feel his rugged, scarred back, where she seemed to stop at his waist. Finally, unable to resist grinning into the crook of his neck, she grabbed a buttock with each hand and gave it a hard squeeze.
“ Ah! ”
“Still as toned and firm and round as ever, I see!”
“Two can play at that game!”
Thancred dove down, and before Rah knew it, he had sat up and hoisted her over his shoulder as easily as a sack of popotoes. And more importantly, her backside was right beside his face. Before she could wiggle out of his grasp, the bard reached up a hand to massage the base of her tail, and immediately she relaxed, purring as he stroked her.
“Naughty girl…” He hummed, leisurely taking his time, his other hand lightly slapping and squeezing a cheek, prompting a shudder from its owner. “Your backside is no slouch either. In fact, I hereby declare it to be perfect!”
The shameless flattery was followed by a most tender kiss to the pliant flesh, and only then did Rahela realize the pun. “ You’re a literal arse-kisser. ”
“Correct,” she heard him cackle at his own joke, and finally he set her down, ruffling her hair. And adding in a few mollifying kisses while he lay down beside her. Then she saw another glint in his eye. “So Rah, darling, I take it you’re ready to move on?”
“Yes…”
“Good, because there’s something I wanted to try since the first time. If you’ll permit me…”
The two rearranged themselves, with him laying on his back, and he directed Rah’s position until she was kneeling atop the bed with her hands braced against his chest, her groin straddling Thancred’s head. If she just lowered herself a bit more, she would be sitting on his face. She'd never heard of this position before, but already it was turning her on that Thancred was so clearly delighted to have his face back between her legs.
She heard a low, sultry chuckle. His breath was hot against her skin, in between laying a slow trail of kisses up her thighs, fanning the flames pulsing through her groin, working his way to her core, and he whispered, “Oh, hello , beautiful. I most certainly missed you. And looking at how wet you are, you certainly must remember me…”
It took a moment for Rahela to process what he was talking about, but then it hit her. “Are you talking to it?”
“And what's wrong with a heartfelt greeting after so long a time apart?” Rah felt a short puff of air, and heard a ‘ hmph’ and she knew right away that he was pouting in mock-offense. But then his fingers spread her lower lips, and his voice took a turn for the sensual. “I don't suppose you'll object to just a little kiss hello?”
But of course, a ‘little kiss hello’ was Thancred-talk for ‘wrapping his lips around her clit and suckling on it for only a fraction of a second.’ Rah yelped, her hips involuntarily jerking. The sensation was over all too quickly, and now her patience was wearing thin. “Thancred, are you kidding me? ”
“What’s that?” Came his obnoxiously smug voice. “Did you want more?”
“Stop teasing or I’ll squish your head.”
“Would that truly be so awful?” Thancred’s laughter didn’t last long, as Rahela was not one to make empty threats. She squeezed her thighs together, crushing his head in between them. “Gurgh, alright, alright!”
He set to work in earnest, starting with lapping up the juices leaking from her, running his tongue along her slit, and briefly slipping it inside her. Rah immediately forgot her earlier annoyance, thinking nothing but the overwhelming, throbbing pleasure that derived from the bard’s legendary silver tongue. She keenly felt every hum of his voice, every smack of his lips, every nip of his teeth, every swirl of his tongue against her mound. Thancred was utterly enraptured in his ministrations, (yet still careful to make sure his stubble did not scratch her anywhere) overjoyed to be tasting her for the first time in what felt like eons, wrapping his arms around her hips and pulling them even closer down, all so he could worship her with his mouth. Her whole body tremored, and she desperately rutted her groin against his face. His tongue greedily lapped up the nectar leaking from her, and both lovers were disappointed when he had to take a moment to regain his breath.
“So...” He panted, lovingly stroking her hands along her curves. “So wonderful . Better than I remember. Infinitely better than all my wildest dreams. Honestly, dove, if all we did tonight was this, I’d be satisfied.”
If she spoke plain, she would be satisfied like this too. But at the same time, she wanted to get her fill of him, just as he was getting his fill of her. And there was his cock, standing erect and left alone, right in front of her, little beads of seed dripping down the shaft.
So she returned the favor, leaning forward and taking his tip of his length into her warm, wet mouth. The bard separated his mouth from her to let out a loud moan, involuntarily jerking his hips upwards, almost hitting the back of Rahela’s throat. She was surprised at taking so much more at once, but took it in stride, savoring the taste of him. Bobbing her head up and down the shaft, she listened for the approving noises of her lover. “Nnnn, Rah… Your mouth, feels like heaven… So good, sublime …” His moaning reached a new octave, so distracted that he had to lay his head back against the bed and just whimper. Gods above, Rahela wished she could see his face right now, but the way his hips were twitching with the effort of keeping some kind of control, she felt no small amount of pride in that. His breath hitched when she started pumping his cock and running the length of her tongue around it. “Oh, oh Rah, you-- I'm, oooh gods , you're so good! ” And now, she grinned inside, deciding now was the perfect moment to try that trick that got him to cum the first time she did this. She took his cock in her hands, and pulling back the foreskin, she took his head into her mouth and pressed it against the roof of her mouth, and then--!
Then suddenly, a throaty gasp, “Wait-wait-wait!” Thancred pulled himself out of Rah's mouth, panting softly. She was pouting all over again, and turned herself around so that she was now face-to-face with him, flopping onto his chest, quirking an eyebrow to prompt an explanation. “Sorry, just, if you'd kept on like that, I would have come…”
Rahela’s pouting intensified, and she nuzzled her forehead into his chest, rubbing her groin against his abdomen, trying to keep herself hot during this pause. “That was the idea, Thancreeeeeed…”
He chuckled, and mollified the miqo'te with a tousle of her hair, “I know you're excited, darling. But we don't want to tire ourselves out right away.”
She, however, was in no mood for patience. Her lips peppered kisses along his collarbone, and between each one, she murmured, “I'm-tired of-waiting... I wanna-get on with it…”
Thancred raised his eyebrows, and was about to open his mouth, but Rahela pressed a finger to his lips.
“You still talk too much.”