Squeezing my eyes shut, I slowly walked into the steamy warm water, hoping I didn't melt. The transition from the extremely cold shower I had just taken made my skin tingle. I remained still until my body adapted to the hot temperature before trying to relax against the stone edge of the hot spring.
When I'd finished, Makoto had returned from her walk, stating Nightmare was off playing somewhere. I glanced up at Mako, relaxing on the other side of the spring, looking extremely comfortable with her eyes closed and a smile on her enticing lips.
She opened her eyes and they landed on me; she grinned, "See. It's not that bad." She sighed in relief, sinking deeper into the steaming hot water.
"It's only because your feet touch the ground," I mumbled, not wanting to admit that I was enjoying the way the heat worked to soothe my tight muscles.
I'd been training a lot since we almost lost Makoto after the practical exam and it felt amazing to release the lingering aches in my body.
"Stop complaining and admit you’re enjoying yourself," she teased, splashing water at me.
I groaned, "I'm gonna die." I watched her give me a playful smile before she relaxed once more, looking up at the twinkling sky.
My eyes lingered on her, appreciating the way the moonlight shone on her delicate skin. My perfect Mako who just wanted me to open up to her.
Did she take me here to help me relax? I knew without a doubt she felt the tension between us and my nerves regarding Midnight. Was this her way to tell me not to stress about it? Michael's words from earlier, and the warnings from the other star knights, ran through my mind and I wished I could silence them.
Only one thing could stop them from ruining this moment: my Princess before me. My Makoto.
"Mako."
Her eyes met mine and I watched her glance down to my bare chest. I loved when she checked me out; it gave me a boost of confidence to know that she enjoyed what she saw.
I knew I'd gained some definition and muscle because of my increased training. I guess it paid off now that I was rewarded with Mako's obvious attraction and the glint of lust that shone in those turquoise eyes. She bit her bottom lip and I didn't think she even realized it as her eyes lowered to my lower half that disappeared into the water, pausing for a moment at my V-lines, which I knew she loved.
I pushed myself off the stone wall, making my way to her slowly, like a predator stalking its prey. Her eyes grew wide, probably at the fact I was willing to move through the water to her; something I wouldn't do for anyone else. Only she could push me to go above and beyond, ignoring my fears for as long as I needed to in order to be by her side.
"Dani—" she began, but I didn't let her finish before I embraced her. I mentally groaned at her scent, the steam of the springs carrying it to my nose, mixed with the cherry blossom aroma of her shampoo.
"Daniel?" Her soft voice was doing wicked things to my body and I prayed I wouldn't grow hard again. At that moment, her hands slid along my back, returning the embrace.
I relaxed, letting the tension, anxiety, and regret go, so I could truly enjoy this moment with my beautiful Princess. I wished that time could pause and I could ignore the invisible barrier I'd somehow created between us.
I heard the sound of night creatures humming through the air and a cold breeze passed us.
"Daniel…if you don’t…want this..." she began, but then she choked on her words.
I squeezed my eyes shut, pained by the agony in her voice that was also laced with fear. "Mako. Stop," I whispered, hoping she wouldn't continue; I tightened my hold on her. Please don't tell me you don't love me anymore...
"But… I'm confused. I don't know what you want, Daniel. I get the whole Midnight situation and I understand… I'm trying to be patient and see everything from your perspective, but I'm failing. I've never dealt with this before and I feel like I'm on a seesaw. One half is telling me you love me while the other…makes me wonder if you hate me..."
Her voice was nothing but a whisper as she tightened her arms around me, crying into my shoulder. I rubbed her back as she cried, wishing I could do more.
"Mako, shh. Baby don't cry," I whispered over and over. I felt horrible for making her cry and to realize she'd been harboring all these thoughts in her mind for so long.
Michael, Azriel, the others, they were all right. I should have just communicated with her from the beginning. If we just talked it out and I had enough courage to share my fears with her, we never would have ended up like this.
She wouldn't be shedding tears because of me.
"Makoto, if only you could see a glimpse of how much I care about you," I whispered. Even I was shocked by my trembling voice. I let instinct take over, not questioning my next actions as I pressed my lips firmly against her neck.
I pulled back to stare into her tear-filled eyes and flushed cheeks, realizing I too, was on the verge of tears.
"I… I just need a bit more time. I love you, Makoto, never doubt that. But…I just need a bit more time before I can reveal myself. Not just the one you see before you. All of me. I know you'll accept me. I just need to gain the courage to accept myself," I admitted.
I hoped that would be enough for her for now. I didn't think I had it in me to say any more. We stared into each other’s eyes and I lifted my hand to rest on her cheek. A tear escaped down her face, meeting my thumb as I brushed it away.
"Okay," she replied.
The relief at the single word was music to my ears as I pulled her into my arms and claimed her lips. My tongue slid into her mouth while my hands roamed down her back.
Our breathing increased as we both moaned, enjoying the taste of one another. If it wasn't for the burning sensation of my lungs begging for oxygen, I would have never let go. We broke the kiss to catch our breaths and we pressed our foreheads together.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
Her eyes met mine and I saw her confusion. "For what?"
"For lying. I…know that it upset you, and I shouldn't have. I just freaked out, and I try and deny how I'm feeling when I'm put on the spot," I admitted, lowering my head in shame. I shouldn't have done that to her and I knew right away I should have been a man and apologized for my dishonesty. She pressed herself against me to my surprise and bit her lip.
I knew she hated seeing me in pain and her lips moved to lay on my neck, trailing over to my chin. My eyes fluttered closed and she pushed me slightly backward. I realized she wanted me to move back so I stepped backward until my back pressed against the smooth surface of the wall. I opened my eyes to stare at her.
"Daniel, I'll be patient. Midnight’s asleep right now, but when we get back to Minato, I'll talk with her. She’s...very defensive when it comes to my well-being. We've been through things…that are hard to discuss. She just doesn't want me to get hurt. I know you wouldn't hurt me intentionally, I get it. I'll try to wait until you’re ready."
She gave me a small smile and hooked her arms around my neck. She leaned on her tiptoes and kissed me. I let my arms wrap around her lower waist, resting my hands on her ass, wishing the white towel around her body was non-existent so I could feel her smooth skin.
Kiss after kiss, we enjoyed each other's lips before taking turns leaving love bites on our necks.
"I think we should get out. The heat’s making me dizzy," Mako admitted finally.
I pressed my hand against her cheek, immediately calling for my healing power to ease her discomfort. She was experiencing dizziness and I had to agree, kissing in a steamy hot area would only lead to both of us getting winded faster.
She sighed in relief, opening her eyes to meet mine. "Thank you," she whispered.
"You’re welcome, Firefly." I smiled, letting go of her.
I moved out of the water, reaching out to help Makoto out as well. I noticed her unsteadiness and immediately lifted her up. She hooked her arms around my neck and rested her head on my shoulder.
"You okay?" I asked, feeling a little worried.
She nodded, leaning upward and shifting slightly to press her lips lightly to my shoulder blade.
I had to contain the moan that was on the verge of escaping from the soft touch against my sensitive markings.
"Ya. I'm really tired," she whispered.
"You haven't gotten a good rest since we got here," I pointed out, putting on my slippers before beginning the walk back to our room. She'd been pushing herself to get as much done as possible during this vacation and I was concerned it would take a toll on her.
"I'm scared to rest. I don't want to waste time that could be spent with you," she confessed.
"There's always time for us, Makoto. I'll always make time for you. Even if things get chaotic when we reach Heila, I'll make sure that we see each other whenever I can. But, you need to sleep. I like to sleep, so we can count it as quality time. What do you say?" I asked.
Sleeping in the same bed as her was one of the most relaxing things for me and I loved waking up to her in my arms. She opened her eyes and I smiled to give her a sense of reassurance.
"Okay. Just…this time," she whispered and relaxed, closing her eyes once more as she nestled against me. Before we even reached our room she was fast asleep, her slow inhales and exhales made me sigh in relief.
Maybe I'll be able to work this out. I noticed Nightmare relaxing in front of the door with a familiar black cat curled next to her. I raised my eyebrow at both of them as they noticed our arrival, standing up to greet us.
"Mew!"
"Meow!"
"You brought a friend, Nightmare?" I grinned, using magic to open the door. They both ran inside, jumping onto the end of the bed and curling up with one another.
"Mew!" she replied from where she relaxed with Scarlet's familiar who I remembered was Moonlight.
I walked over to the bed, using a wind spell to cast a warm breeze to dry Mako and I off. Then, I laid her down onto the white sheets.
I found one of my shirts and put it on her, knowing she hated sleeping in a bra. I got a pair of her underwear and slid them on, doing it more for myself. Maybe the extra layer would be enough to keep me from thinking of how much I wanted to have her.
She mumbled something and turned to her side, patting at the empty half of the bed which made me smirk. I grabbed a pair of white boxers, put both towels into the laundry bin, then went to dim the lights.
I walked over to the other half of the bed and climbed in, making sure Nightmare and Moonlight had enough space before grabbing the light blanket, pulling it up to cover Mako and me.
The moment I relaxed, Mako's hand patted my waist and she moved to snuggle against me. She mumbled something incoherent with the cutest smile on her face before she relaxed.
I pressed my lips to her forehead and watched her sleep for a long time, wondering if I could reveal my past to her. She'd proven to be different from all the people in my past. She wouldn't judge me or ridicule me like they had.
Maybe it was time for me to reveal everything to her. Just as she has to me. In time, Midnight will come around. I told myself those words over and over again until my eyes grew too heavy to keep them open any longer.
It wasn't long till I fell asleep, dreaming of my Princess and the lovemaking we'd share if I had my way.