I groan slightly as I wake up, my sore muscles screaming at me as I try to stretch the sleep out of them. The giant demon I'm lying on top of sighs slightly as I stir, a large hand running over my back in soothing circles.
"How are you feeling, little bird?"
Groaning slightly louder βperhaps a
bit
over-dramaticallyβ I rest my chin on his broad, hard chest as I look up at my husband's handsome face. I don't think that I'll ever get over the sight of his full mouth, strong nose, and deep eyes staring back at me. I'm equally doubtful that the sight of his horns will ever cease to send the lower half of my body pulsing with need. Pouting my lip slightly, I take a strand of his long black hair between my fingers, stroking the silk between them as I whine to him, "Like I got ran over by a stampede of wild beasts."
"Not wholly inaccurate." He chuckles softly from behind his lazy, groggy grin as his hand at my back finds the back of my head, petting my bed head tenderly. I snort at the joke.
He's certainly not wrong.
Remembering the night prior makes my face flush, but when I try to bury my face in his chest, his free hand cups my chin, holding my gaze prisoner in his. I bite my bottom lip as he stares me down. With nowhere for me or my embarrassment to hide, I decide to face my shame head-on before I drop dead from it.
"So that really was...
normal
then?" I wince slightly at the word, and he rolls his eyes with a shrug.
"Pretty much, but frankly, I don't really give a damn how normal or not-normal something is."
"Hmm." I hum softly as I admire his handsome face in silence, my mind combing through the events at dinner. I'd be lying like an innocent thief holding a bag of gold if I said that I didn't enjoy myself, but our relationship βno our marriage, actuallyβ is still so new that no real boundaries or definitions have been made. It's not so much that I wish it hadn't happened, more so that I wish we'd discussed it first. Because now there's so much up in the air, and the idea of doing the same thing again, but with the roles reversed...
My face must clearly reflect the revulsion I feel because Cassiel's brows furrow together with concern as he asks, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I press my lips together and try my best to force my expression towards one of neutrality.
Cassiel gives me the kind of flat stare that tells me neither of us are leaving this bed until I tell him the truth.
I sigh dramatically as I stare at the strands of his hair that I'm toying with between my fingers. "Are you going to want to..." He raises his brows as I draw out the word, clearly stalling for time, "... do that again but with..." Cass nods for me to continue, clearly feeling equal parts concerned and amused by me, "...women?"
Cassiel sucks his teeth briefly in understanding before saying, "Ahh. I see." He resumes petting my hair with a patient, tender smile on his face. "Is that something that's enticing to you?"
I let out another sigh, "No. The image made me feel... violent."
Cass barks a laugh as he wraps his giant arms around me, pulling me fully on top of him, my face hovering mere inches above his. "Yes, I'm sure that you're quite ferocious." I pinch him softly in the neck, and it's his turn to sigh before he says, "Poppy, I don't want to do anything that you don't want to do."
"But isn't that unfair?" Chewing the inside of my cheek as I stare down at him, he rolls his eyes.
"Avery, we're talking about sex, not a game of checkers. What works for me won't necessarily work for you."
"So it didn't make you jealous at all?" I stare at his chin as I speak, but he waits for me to look back up at him before he answers me.
"No, but I understand why it would for you. I just..." He shrugs, "I know that you belong to me. Your body is simply a vessel. Now, if I ever caught you having some grand love affair, I'd crucify the poor bastard on my front lawn." I giggle at my usually calm husband's casual mention of such violence, making the statement as simply as if he were talking about what we'll be eating for breakfast. "As long as your heart is mine, Poppy, I don't care about much else."
My heart swells slightly as I pout my lip at him, "Awe."
He just rolls his eyes, "Honeymoon starts tomorrow, by the way." Kissing me before rolling out of bed, he leans back to tousle my hair before the curtains around our bed close behind him. "I'll send for Clara to bring you something for the soreness."
"Thank you, dear husband." I call back playfully towards him before humming pleasantly as I sink into the warm spot in bed that he left behind.
I think that I must fall back asleep, but once Cass is dressed, he pops in to give me one last kiss before he leaves. "Rest well, little bird."
...
In the night I feel a large body ease onto the bed beside me, the mattress softly sinking beneath my husband's massive weight, and I greedily throw my limbs over him before Cass chuckles and pulls me closer. "Hello, Poppy."
"It's late." I mumble grumpily as I nuzzle my face into his strong neck.
"I know. I'm sorry that I woke you." He whispers to me as I feel a large hand running over my back, and as we lay nearly identical to how we did this morning, it almost feels as though no time has passed at all.
"No, I'm not mad that you woke me. I missed you." I kiss his cheek and see him smile.