More boinkies.

[merikuru]

And now, the moment we've all been waiting for.

Or not.

No, but seriously, how was I supposed to not write some G'raha boinks? I'd only been missing him terribly since, oh, the original Crystal Tower arc. Thank you, Squenix, for giving us back our adorable boi.


The tower, unawakened and inactive, is dark inside, but that doesn't bother me in the least.

Afforded a strange sort of familiarity with the surroundings, both from my adventures here previously and those in the First, and possessed of the ability to see the very aether around me, I am able to ascend the many stairs with an efficient swiftness; it is not long, like this, before I am standing at the doors to the chamber at the pinnacle, and only then do I hesitate at all, taking a deep breath and trying to keep my hands from trembling as I once more draw out the soul crystal that has brought me here. Not in my wildest dreams had I imagined I would be back here, holding the very key to regaining what it is I lost what feels like so long ago, and the mere thought of it is somewhat overwhelming, excitement and nervousness welling up within me in equal measure. (So many what-ifs are tumbling through my mind right now, quite honestly - what if this doesn't work, what if he remembers nothing, what if something goes wrong - and while this tendency of mine to worry and fret is nothing new, this time it's causing me far more exasperation than it ever has before. This is no time to be thinking about all of that, I've a job to do and I had best do it--)

One more deep breath, and I lift the crystal, which promptly illuminates with a radiance that, in this pitch-black atmosphere, is utterly blinding; ahead of me, the doors shudder, then groan open with a laborious sound just on the edge of hearing to allow me entry - an invitation that, of course, I take most promptly.

Unlike the rest of the tower, this chamber is faintly illuminated, the facets it is composed of gleaming faintly phosphorescent, and it takes me a moment of wild blinking to adjust to it before I am able to take a good look around. It's not an unfamiliar sight, this sprawling, open space broken only by the gigantic crystalline throne at the far end of the room, and hardly have I even processed any differences from the last time than I am already in motion, a desperate half-run that quickly closes the distance between me, the ominous structure and its occupant. So small he looks against its otherworldly size, so still and quiet and peaceful - honestly, it seems a bit sacrilegious to even try and wake him, but I remind myself a bit of sacrilege is part and parcel of the life of one who slays godlike beings on the regular, reaching out to brush his cheek with uncertain fingers and feeling somewhat soothed to find it soft and warm, a far cry from the cold crystal that had consumed his counterpart in the First. That had been a worry of mine, I realise, that perhaps he'd had to become one with the tower in body as well as spirit here too, but with that not being the case...while it doesn't assuage all my nervousness, I do feel better.

"G'raha," I whisper, quiet and affectionate, and I can't stop myself from leaning in as I continue speaking - though to be fair, I don't really try. "It's time to wake up."

My lips touch his, then, and somehow, it feels entirely like coming home.

It's not until he stirs that I draw back, and I'm rewarded when I do with the sight of sleepy crimson eyes seeming to shine in the faint light, my heart skipping a beat when the corner of his mouth automatically begins to tug into a smile as he sees me. (He does recognise me, then; that's one worry off my mind.) "I know you must be confused, and you weren't expecting this," I begin, a little sheepishly. "Please listen - I need you to trust me. I have something here you need--" holding out the crystal, I watch him for a moment as he simply stares at it, wondering whether I ought to take a gamble or simply try to play it safe, finally deciding that at least there is some logic behind the theory I'm about to put forth. "You dreamt, didn't you - while you slept here. Dreams of a world destroyed, a future that must not come to pass. One where all of the Scions - where I..." Trailing off there, finding it too hard to go on, I take a slow breath, the way his expression briefly twists with pain and fear telling me all I need to know.

"This will sound unbelievable," I continue after a moment, "but I've woken you because of that exact possibility. I, and the others, crossed the rift to the First, called by you - by a version of you who existed in that future, and wanted to see it averted. He gave his life, in the end, to see everyone back home, but...this crystal contains his memories. His soul. He wanted so badly to come back with me..." I trail off again, swallowing hard, my eyes threatening to well up with tears. "It's possible that - everyone thinks that since he wanted it so much, his soul and yours could become one. And if I'm honest with you...that's what I want, too. I-I've missed you so much, so - having the chance to have you by my side again...I mean, I just...I..."

Blinking slowly for a moment, G'raha finally gives the slightest shake of his head and apologetically puts his hands up, signaling me to stop for a moment, and I obediently fall silent with a surge of embarrassment at how overwhelming my flood of speech must have been. "The dreams," he begins finally in a tired murmur, one ear flattening to the side briefly, as if the mere thought is distressing - and honestly, I can't blame him in the least. "...I know not how you knew of them, but you speak truth. That alone renders what you have said firmly within the realm of possibility..." letting out a long sigh, he slouches briefly as if the effort of it has rendered him thoroughly exhausted, then sits upright again and reaches out for the crystal. "...Truth be told, there was...one thing in those dreams that was a bit strange. At times I would see myself here, as I am now...and a figure would be standing before me that I could not clearly see, yet I somehow knew that I could trust them. Perhaps it was a vision of what has come to pass at this very moment." Turning the crystal over and over in his hands, he considers, then looks me in the eye, voice almost inaudible now. "I would - before I do anything, I would have you tell me one thing, if you would be so kind..."

"Anything," I promise, firmly and reassuringly, putting a hand briefly over his. "If it is within my power to answer, then I will. Ask your question."

He nods once, slowly, takes a breath and goes on in that same quiet, uncertain tone. "The symbol of hope...that I had always prayed this tower would become. Tell me, were those prayers answered?"

Some part of me must have been expecting this question, I realise, from the way my eyes grow hot as a wave of emotion wells up in me, and I'm forced to just breathe for a moment myself before I can answer him, finally giving a nod and a tremulous smile of my own. "They were," I say softly, recalling the Exarch's final moments, the words he had entrusted to me, and before I can even think about it I'm reciting them as steadily as I can. "...'May it serve as an undying promise, not only to those who looked to me for leadership, but to any soul that has known despair, that hope is everlasting.' That's what he said to me, at the very end...and I have no doubt that his last wish will be fulfilled."

G'raha smiles too at that, the expression just as wavery as my own, and returns his gaze to the crystal, cradling it in his hands like it's a precious relic - which, I suppose, is not an inaccurate thought, in its own way. "I see," he responds at length, closes his eyes for a long moment and then makes to rise from the throne, looking embarrassed - but grateful - when I grasp his shoulders for support as his legs tremble under him. "Then...I have no regrets. Should something go awry, should this fail to work - should one, or both, of us cease to exist, or should our memories and experiences simply be wiped away, never to be restored - I will accept it. To know that somewhere in the distant future, beyond time, beyond this world, what I had so dearly hoped for has come to pass...that is enough. Thank you; I believe I'm ready, now." Gently, deliberately, he brings one hand up to touch my cheek, and I can't help but lean into it, feeling a little cold and sad when he draws away. "...Well, nothing left now but to simply do it, I suppose. Whatever happens, I have no words for how grateful I am. Grateful that you came into my life, that you helped me...that you believed in me, and never once gave up on me. Grateful that..." he swallows slightly, ears twitching, and grasps the crystal firmly, holding it to his chest as blinding light illuminates it from within. "That you allowed me...to love you."

My eyes go wide, but I have no time to respond before the light swells, the room filling with a dizzying sense of power, a dance of aether that nearly overwhelms my senses.

When it fades, he is still standing, blinking slowly a few times to presumably reorient himself before looking down at himself, lifting curious hands to examine them intently; I find myself almost holding my breath, somewhat embarrassingly, as I watch him, but the relief that spreads across his face is most reassuring, and the recognition in his eyes when he raises them to mine with a brilliant smile wipes away the last of my fearful uncertainty. He knows who I am still, his face says he remembers, to all appearances he is whole and restored - before I can stop myself I am flinging myself into his arms with wild abandon, a relieved sob bursting from me when he embraces me tightly and he is so stunningly warm, now that crystal has made way for flesh and living aether pulses strongly through him like a second lifeblood. "Raha," I whisper, burying my face into his neck and taking a deep breath, just taking a moment to collect myself before I go on. "Gods, I can't believe this. It worked - it really worked..."

"So it did," he agrees, presses his cheek briefly into my hair and holds to me still more tightly, that smile still strong on his lips when I once more lift my head to look him in the eye. "I do feel a bit disoriented, 'tis true, but no need to worry - a good meal and a proper rest will take care of that, and that aside, naught is amiss. The theory that my wish to simply be by your side would facilitate a flawless merging of souls seems to have been absolutely correct. For all intents and purposes, I have...we have been reborn, given a second chance that I have absolutely no intentions of squandering. Thank you, Y'senia, for bringing me home; I know not how to repay you for what you have done for me, but..."

"You don't need to repay me," I interrupt him with a gentle laugh, hardly more than a breath, unable to resist the urge to nuzzle my cheek against his and feeling a swell of jubilation in my chest when he leans into the affectionate motion. "I'm not done helping you yet, anyway. You're exhausted after all of that, I can feel it - the very least I can do is help restore a little of your strength, now that it's actually possible. Unless, of course, you don't want it..." purposely trailing off, unable to resist teasing him just a little, I avert my eyes in mock shyness, never mind that I'm grinning. (It got a laugh out of him, too, and honestly, that's all I wanted in response.) "You'll let me take care of you for a little while, won't you? After you spent so much time taking care of me, I want to return the favour. And besides," turning my eyes back to his, my grin softening into an affectionate smile, I bring a hand up, gently tracing his jaw with a fingertip. "You - you've shown me your love...and now it's my turn to show you mine."

His eyes go a little wide at that, but I don't give him a chance to respond, pressing my lips to his in a deep, heartfelt kiss.

Clearly nervous, he presses his fingers into my back a little with the softest of sounds, but he isn't drawing away or acting truly uncertain and that's more than enough for me; running my hand soothingly through his hair, I step forward without breaking the liplock, urging him carefully back until the backs of his legs come up against the throne, only then pulling away and smiling to see him already as flushed and breathless as if we'd done far more than merely kissing. "You trust me, right, Raha?" I ask quietly, and though I don't strictly need an answer, it still makes me feel warm all over to see his dazed nod in response. "Good - sit down, and just let me take care of you for a little while. I don't want to risk overloading you too much right from the start, so..." kneeling in front of him even as I speak, even as he sinks to the throne and tilts his head to look down at me in hazy surprise, I reach up and begin undoing his belt and trousers, giving him a reassuring smile. "We've never done this, have we? Back then, I had no idea what I was doing, and there never was enough time for us to do much experimenting...but I fully intend to rectify that. If you don't mind, of course--" The stubborn zip coming open at last, I nod for him to lift up a bit, tugging down both his trousers and smallclothes at once in a single smooth motion when he obeys, feeling a surge of possessive want to see him already so hard and desperate without a single finger being laid on him yet. "You'll enjoy this - I promise."

"I would...imagine so," he breathes, almost inaudible, breaking off into a choked and shuddering gasp when I lean forward and take him into my mouth, his hands immediately curling tight into my hair to keep me in place - somewhat to my own surprise, that sends a wave of delight through me, and I can't help but moan around him, a sound which he echoes (albeit more sharply and desperately, a little strained with his efforts to keep at least some small modicum of control.) It's so much different from when I've done this to Thancred, I can't help but think; of course that would be the case, and I didn't expect otherwise, but now I find myself focusing most intently on all of it - on how neatly I can take all of him in without a struggle, how he just fits so perfectly without straining my jaw or making me tilt my head into any strange positions, how he trembles and arches and makes all manner of breathless needy sounds with every hint of suction or flicker of tongue - it's intoxicating, in its way, and it's all I can do not to reach down and touch myself in response to the effect he's having on me, instead letting my hands settle on his thighs in a firm press and shivering when his fingers tighten into my hair. He's close, I can tell, and I'm certainly not about to deny him the release he so obviously craves, not when I'm craving it just as much in my own way - so instead I try to speak without words, to urge him with lips and tongue and maybe the very slightest hint of teeth not to hold himself back, to let himself go.

It's not long at all before he does, before he clutches my hair tight enough to pull and buries himself to the hilt in my mouth with a beautiful gasping cry, and the feel of him coming straight down my throat might just be the best thing in the world at that very moment.

Sitting reluctantly back, I look up at him - deeply flushed, panting like he's just run a marathon, slumped against the back of the throne with a thoroughly beatific expression - and can't help but smile, climbing to my feet so I can lean in and nuzzle my cheek against his, obediently settling next to him when he curls a trembling hand into my shirt and makes to tug me down into a sit as well. "Catch your breath, Raha - we've only just begun," I murmur, shifting to accommodate him when he squirms close and tucks his face against my neck, rubbing gentle circles between his shoulderblades until he's calmed enough that he can look up at me again with hazy eyes. "I wouldn't dream of stopping now; I promised I'd take care of you, and I intend to do exactly that. Besides, I - I'm in no rush to give up the chance to have time alone with you. When we leave here, when we return to the others, we'll have no privacy whatsoever until they're convinced the both of us are perfectly well--" and I'd go on, but that's proving a bit difficult when he's nuzzling shyly into my neck again, pressing a thigh between my legs so it rubs against me in a most tantalising manner, any further words briefly lost to the strangled moan I can't keep from escaping me. "I-I - Raha, if you keep that up then...then I..."

"I know," he says, quiet and a little muffled in my neck, pressing a ghost of a kiss over my pulse and seeming pleased when I shiver sharply. "But I would...return the favour, such as it may be, before we get to the main act. It's been so long since I've seen you..." another kiss, firmer this time, and he raises his head again, eyes bright with longing anticipation. "Will you not show yourself to me, Senia? Like you did when last we lay together, that final night before we faced the Cloud of Darkness, before I had to leave you...more than anything, right now, I want to see it. Your pleasure, your desire...all of it..." he shifts again, pressing closer still, and I can't keep myself from rocking against him a little, sucking in a shuddery breath between my teeth. "...Mayhap it is rather forward of me, and for that I apologise, but I simply can't wait any longer. Please, Senia - you'll let me, won't you?"

I can't respond for a moment, verbally or with actions - most likely due in large part to the fact he chose to punctuate his words with a firm rub of his thigh and a teasing nip at my jaw - but quite rightly, he takes the lack of any protest as assent and shifts back enough that he can slide his hands beneath my skirt, hooking his fingers into the waist of my panties and tugging them down enough to expose me. "I would almost think you planned this, you know - though it doesn't matter if you did or not," he trails off into a huff of amusement, letting his fingers stroke along my slick folds without quite penetrating, eyes fixed intently on my face to watch my expression as I arch with a hissing gasp. (It's almost unfair, really, how nice it is to have him looking at me like that, and if I weren't already so close to losing it, that alone would definitely have put me there.) "If you only knew how much I have longed for this...to have you come undone for me, at my touch, knowing it was me who made you lose control...I can hardly stand it--" he's leaning in even as he speaks so our lips are nearly touching, voice dropping to a breathy whisper, and only the fact I'm so close to release that I'm trembling is preventing me from pulling him the rest of the way in for a desperate kiss. "So show me, Senia - that vulnerable side of you, the one that can only give itself over, that only makes me want you all the more. Long has it been since I have had the privilege of seeing it...do not hold back. Let me have it all. Please..."

Even if I were capable of refusing, I know I'd be unable to resist that pleading tone - but it doesn't matter anyway, because then he's kissing me deeply, pushing his fingers into me in a swift, firm thrust, and that's more than sufficient to send me over the metaphorical edge with a shuddering cry.

Looking fascinated, enthralled even, he gives a few more gentle thrusts before pulling back so I can calm down, lifting his hand to his mouth and licking his fingers clean with a casual ease that makes me shiver with renewed desire. "Absolutely exquisite...just as I remember," he murmurs, sucks absently at the tip of a finger for a moment and then looks abruptly sheepish, ears twitching in apparent nervousness. "Ah...was that a bit much? Forgive me, I - it seems to be proving...somewhat difficult to realise when I ought to speak in a more familiar manner, and I suppose I defaulted to speaking as I would as the Exarch...but it is true, nonetheless. You are...perhaps the most perfect thing I have ever seen in either of my lives..." trailing off, flattening his ears forward, he looks down a little, and even as dazed as I still am, I can't resist leaning forward to wrap my arms around him in what I hope is a reassuring manner, feeling warm all over when he settles against me most obligingly. "...My apologies...if that was overstepping. Truly."

"It wasn't overstepping," I assure him, still a little breathless, my cheeks beginning to heat now that I'm actually coherent enough for embarrassment again. "You just surprised me a bit...I never did manage to get used to compliments--" trying to turn it into a bit of a joke, I let out a sheepish huff of a laugh, and it's relieving when I feel his shoulders relax just a little. "Honestly, I'm...a bit honoured, really. To - to think that I could mean so much to you...to both of you...it's rather surprising, but all the same, thank you. I think...I needed to hear that, actually." (It's hard not to automatically pull away in embarrassment at what I've just admitted, but reminding myself that he was just as vulnerable mere moments ago and seems not the least bit actually upset about it is a great help.) "...But, never mind all of that for now. I promised to take care of you, and help restore a bit of your strength...and now that we've both calmed down somewhat, I'd like to do that. Assuming you don't mind, of course - you don't mind, do you?"

Looking somewhat incredulous, even as he's smiling, G'raha shakes his head, bringing a hand up to flick playfully at one of my ears and laughing when I give him a mock-insulted look. "Why would I mind? If that were the case, we would not have even gotten this far, and you know it - on the contrary, I am rather looking forward to seeing what else you've learnt in our time apart." Nuzzling me gently, he presses a kiss to the corner of my lips, then pulls back and begins working his boots off so he can properly unclothe his lower half, which I can't resist hazily watching for a moment before I start to do the same. "That in mind, however, it has been quite some time since I have lain with another, and so at the first I would remind you I may not last. Not that I imagine you would neglect the possibility." Now that we're both sufficiently undressed for what is to come, he leans in again and kisses me, quick and biting and leaving the both of us just a little breathless when we break apart. "I am ready, Senia - though I must admit to a bit of curiosity as to how you plan to lend me strength?"

"Ah," I say, a little dumbly - not because I don't have an answer or a plan, but because the thought of giving voice to it is embarrassing enough I can't immediately manage to form the words, and trying to phrase it through gestures isn't exactly the most doable thing; nonetheless, I do try, wriggling my fingers a bit sheepishly in an attempt to silently convey the meaning, and by the time I'm sure that isn't going to work I have control over my voice again. "That's, well - as you know, there's a veritable surfeit of aether in here, more than enough spare to manipulate as must needs be done...it may not be the most orthodox method, but I do know what I'm doing." Giving the slightest of nervous smiles, I take a slow breath, hoping he isn't going to ask me where I came up with that idea and feeling a swirl of relief when he simply nods his understanding. That makes it all so much easier, not needing to explain myself - and perhaps that's the only reason my hands aren't shaking from nervous anticipation as I pull him close again, mentally reaching for the surrounding aether even as I shift so I am straddling his lap.

"I - I'm going to start drawing aether now, all right? Hold onto me so I don't slip - like that, that's good..." I begin, and then I lose words completely at the mere sight of how he smiles as he settles his hands on my waist, like he's never heard a better idea in his life.

It is a simple enough matter to gather the aether to me, but spinning it into a useful form is the part that proves somewhat awkward; knowing how to do this in theory is far different from doing the actual deed, and being settled against him as I am makes it so achingly difficult not to simply give in and push down onto him already, but I somehow manage to take that desperate frustration and channel it into what I'm doing instead, weaving ephemeral shapes in my mind's eye that burn with warmth as they manifest around us, much to my satisfied delight. Perhaps this is truly possible, perhaps I really can do it - and as my confidence in the matter grows, I find it easier and easier to bring that gathered energy to bear, the two of us soon enclosed in a brightly pulsating cocoon that radiates pleasant warmth. "There, I...I think that ought to do it," I finally breathe, and relief flows through me when I slowly let go my tight mental hold on the aetheric threads and yet everything holds steady, manifest enough that it no longer needs to be actively maintained. "So, if you are ready...then I am too. Please, Raha. Please let me feel you..."

He meets my eyes, the nascent crimson of his own glistening in the light, and smiles again...then helps me ease down, enveloping himself in my sinfully tight heat with a gasping cry.

(This may well, the last truly coherent part of my brain thinks, be the single best thing I have ever felt in all my life, and I can't even be embarrassed at that thought.)

My intent had been to only move slowly for now, to be absolutely sure not to make this the least bit overwhelming, but both his body and mine seem to have an entirely different idea; when he begins to move, it is hard and fast and with an utterly desperate force, and I can't even think to try and curb his enthusiasm, simply clutching at his shoulders and falling into a mutual rhythm with him as if it's the easiest thing in the world. So hot, so hard within me, so beautiful and arousing and utterly perfect...he's everything I've ever wanted, right now, everything I've ever needed, and I'd tell him exactly that if I thought the words even existed to do so but all I can do is try and convey it with action, with the way I shift so that I'm pressed as close to him as I can be while still being able to move, with the way my lips meet his in a biting possessive kiss that stifles the sounds neither of us are even trying to hold back. It's a certainty, by now, that neither of us will last, and while ordinarily I might be a bit disappointed, I'm not now - we have all the time in the world now that he's here again, safe and whole, and I don't doubt that this won't be the only time we lay together, so I'm not even trying to hold myself back and I know he's doing the same. All that matters, right now, is chasing that sweet release, the peak we're both so close to, and I have no intention of stopping before we reach it.

The moment we do, at any rate, is immeasurably sweet - the feel of him spilling into me as he finds his completion pushes me inexorably into my own, and as I tremble with the feel of it, I feel as though I have tasted pure and utter perfection.

For a time after the shudders of release pass, we simply relax there, him lolling back against the throne in delicious exhaustion and me settling limp against his chest in the same, and it feels a veritable yet pleasant eternity passes before I can summon up the coherency to speak or to move, tilting my head up just enough that my mouth is by his ear and letting my blissful smile come through in the tone of my voice. "Raha--" and then I pause, because quite honestly I'm not sure what to say, what I should say, or if words are even suitable here, but after a few moments I do go on, feeling that perhaps I ought to at least not leave any unspoken sentiment figuratively hanging between us. "I...thank you. For letting me do that, I mean. I don't think I've felt this good for a long time; not since before my arrival in the First, at the very least...and I don't think I'd be wrong to hazard a guess that you needed it just as much as I did. Not - not that I mean to make it any sort of competition or anything, I only - I..." interrupting myself, much to my own surprise, with breathless laughter at my own awkwardness, I finally just shake my head and give up on trying to figure out what precisely I'm trying to convey, a task made much easier by the fact he's begun to laugh along with me - and by the time we calm, I'm grinning still, feeling light and warm all over, filled with a buoyant sense of satisfaction. This is perfect, really, and there isn't a thing I could possibly say to make it more so--

Well, no - there is one thing, and the words come automatically when I realise it, a gentle breath at his ear.

"Raha, I love you so much. I think I always have, from nearly the moment we met...and I've long regretted not telling you before it was too late. So thank you...for giving me the chance to finally do that, too."

He doesn't respond verbally, but he doesn't need to; he just sits up straight, looks at me with eyes shining bright from reciprocated affection, and then kisses me slowly and sweetly, a reply in and of itself and one that I understand perfectly.

It's some time still before we leave the tower, and though each and every look we get when at last we arrive at the Rising Stones is one of knowing amusement, neither one of us can really bring ourselves to mind that in the least.