Closer to Passion

Writers: Bree, Eimi
Date Posted: 27th December 2006

Characters: Miryene, Jio
Description: Ivy's first flight adds a little passion to Miryene and Jio's marriage, which might not be a good thing.
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 1, day 14 of Turn 4

Jio looked up from his mug as Miryene quietly closed the door behind her. "Is he asleep?"

"Finally." Miryene smiled tiredly and slid into the seat in front of her abandoned dinner. "But he wouldn't go down for a nap all day long, so he might actually sleep through the night tonight." It would only be the second time such a thing had happened, but Miryene couldn't help but hope.

"Hmmm," her husband hummed wistfully, "perhaps we should try cutting out the naps more often."

"That depends," Miryene replied dryly. "Do you like having your clothing washed and your cot tided? Because I only have time to do those things while he's asleep."

"Point taken." Selfish as it was, he didn't dare offer to come home earlier to help out. He already was falling behind on all his research just by coming home in time for dinner. Gone were the days he could spend half the night in his workroom when he had found himself on the edge of something good...

Miryene was tired enough that she pushed absently at her food, her appetite mostly gone. "I may have to beg one of the foster mother's for an afternoon off anyway, just so I'll have time to catch up with some of the cleaning. It took me longer to recover from his birth than it should have." "Well, I could probably take him when I'm not in class some afternoon,"
he offered, a frown playing across his lips. Jio certainly didn't like to be reminded how difficult the pregnancy had been. He hoped she would tell him if anything were really wrong.

Looking up from her plate, Miryene reached across the table to lay a hand on top of his. "Don't worry about it, Jio. I know you already take time away from your work for me."

"Not just for you. I'd love the chance to spend more time with Mio." In fact he couldn't wait until he could take the little boy in hand and walk him around his rows of herbs, teaching him the names of each one, letting him play in the dirt as he taught him how to plant seedlings...

Warmth spread through her at the expression on Jio's face, the aching tenderness that always came when she saw him holding Mio. It was the feeling that made her reciprocate at night when he made love to her in his shy, sweet way. She'd yet to feel the heat of passion with him, but there was satisfaction to be had in the expression on his face when he lost himself in pleasure. Jio brought her hand to his lips and gave it a soft kiss. "I'll start in on the dishes. You should finish your dinner." He could do that much for her, at least.

She was surprised at how much the warmth spread at the gentle touch of his lips, feeling almost sad when he released her hand and moved away from the table. "Thank you, Jio."

He collected his dishes and carried them into the kitchen. "Do you want any more food or should I take care of that as well?"

Miryene didn't answer him, distracted by the increasing warmth. She lifted one hand to her cheeks, feeling the faint flush, and wondered if it had finally happened. If Jio had loved her enough that she was starting to love him back. The feeling creeping through her was unmistakably desire, but it was so sudden and foreign that she could hardly fathom where it could have come from.

Jio cleared his throat as he began scraping the plate clean, pushing down the familiar distracting feelings that he knew was coming from his little flit, Pom. "I said do you need anymore food? I can clear all this away if you like."

"No, I don't think I'm hungry anymore," she replied absently, her hand coming down to rest at the base of her throat. It felt far too warm.

"I can wash your plate too if you like." He busied himself scrubbing at the dishes in the basin to keep his mind off the hint of desire and longing emanating from his brown.

Miryene glanced at her husband. "I could do that. Later..." "I don't mind, really." It was therapeutic, actually.

She cleared her throat and rose to her feet. "No, Jio. I thought--I thought maybe we could--" Something in her voice made him stop what he was doing and turned towards her, a note he had never heard before. "You thought we could do what?"

Miryene held out a hand to him, not knowing where this sudden desire came from but not caring. How much easier would her life be if she could desire her husband the way he wanted her? His wife had never looked at him like that before. He could feel all those thoughts he had pushed back in his mind bubble to the surface as he was drawn to her side. His hand reached out for hers as his breath caught in his chest. Was she feeling it too?

When his body pressed against hers, she almost moaned with relief. Her hands slid up his shoulders and over the coarse hair of his beard before sliding up into his hair. "I--I don't know what's come over me."

Jio did, though part of him wanted to believe he might be wrong. Maybe she really did just... want him...? Maybe it was just a lucky coincidence...? Maybe she finally was as interested in him as he was in her...? Or maybe he should stop thinking so much! He swept her up into his arms and kissed her with more courage than he had ever kissed her before. It was the closest he'd ever come to passion, and it unleashed something inside her. The quiet, gentle woman who had let him take the lead in recent nights vanished, replaced with a woman who had been twice married and knew exactly what she wanted. She reciprocated with all of the passion she'd felt in her first marriages--fueled by the knowledge that this man deserved every bit of pleasure she could give him. They way she responded washed away any kind of doubt he might have been feeling. This certainly wasn't the woman he knew. Somewhere, he was sure, her little flit Ivy was finally rising to mate. And the feelings it brought out of her! Shards! He suddenly felt like a bumbling idiot as she kissed him in a way he'd never been kissed before. Jio could feel his body responding with an intensity he had never thought was possible. It had to have been the flight. It _had_ to have been. Because otherwise he obviously had been doing something wrong...

She didn't care that he was suddenly clumsy. The couch was a few short steps away, and Miryene coaxed him to it and gave him a little push. For a moment she looked down at him, sprawled on the couch looking dazed.
Then she reached up and started undoing the laces on the front of her dress.

Jio's jaw dropped as his breath quickened as he watched each lace fall almost teasingly open. This wasn't anything like the nights in the dark when he shyly peeled her clothes off of her. This was... seductive! _She_ was seducing _him_. "Wait, no, Miryene, I should do that."

Miryene ignored him, her fingers slowing teasingly as pulled at the last two laces. Leaving her bodice held together by the last lace, she lifted the skirts of her dress and slid onto the couch, one knee on either side of his leg. Then she found his hands with hers and slid them to the laces. "Alright," she breathed. "You can help."

Her husband felt even more inept as he fumbled with the laces. Shards he was practically trembling with desire and anticipation. He took deep breaths to try to steady his breathing, but Pom's lust mixing with the way his body was responding to her was making even that exercise difficult.

With her inhibitions finally unleashed, Miryene had no problems with the laces on Jio's tunic. She tugged him forward enough to pull the garment off, and then let her hands smooth down his chest before she leaned in to kiss him again. With passion riding her, she didn't give her usual care to her husband's fragile ego, guiding his hands and showing him what he needed to do.

He couldn't think of his ego, not with the way she was responding to his every touch. She had never made sounds like that when they were together before. She never moved like that. She never kissed him like that. It was like a completely different woman was making love to him. She was engaged and passionate, lusty and seductive. But he couldn't concentrate on the reasons for the difference now. His body was demanding release, and he could tell hers did as well. There was time enough to think later. For now, all he could do was feel glorious.

Last updated on the December 29th 2006

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Closer to Passion