One Step At A Time (Flashback) (M Rated)

The evening air smelled cool and crisp as Tamwyn lowered himself into the hot spring the days training and practice over and done with. He was already strong and personally he felt he had reached the peak of his capabilities physically. However that did not mean that he could stop training. Otherwise he would lose that physical prowess. His naked form, mostly unscarred from his time with Raiju with the exception of the vertical one going down his eye, was lean and powerful and his broad shouldered form relaxed obviously as he let the hot spring water relax him. Steam rose from the spring and he would lean back, enjoying the cool night air as he looked up into the sky to see the stars begin to come into existence. The sun had yet to fully set but it would do so soon enough. His sword leaned against a nearby rock and his armor sat upon it. He had come here directly from training. He had given Walter specific instructions that he was not to be disturbed and the man would ensure that was the case. His majordomo was the same man he had doing the job in Kumogakure and he had offered him the position when Tamwyn had arrived here in Darhkvale a week and a half ago.

Walter had replied to the letter accepting the position and stating that he would arrive in about three days. Sure enough he had arrived on time and found his charge had been in good hands in the form of Allen. Now relegated to second in command in the staff team. Although the man seemed to not mind. Indeed he actually seemed to prefer the position and he and Walter had taken to each other quite nicely. Neither would disturb him this evening, nor would they let anyone else do so. With the exception of one of course. The only individual, so far as he knew, in the house that had specifically been ordered to 'take care of him.' Would go where she pleased and do so with an ready smirk and a dare to stop her. Priya and he had grown close somewhat quickly. She helped him deal with the reality of Yenn's death, deal with the paralyzing depression. She held him as he slept, or let him hold her, and he couldn't seem to sleep any other way at the moment. She hadn't seemed to mind yet, although they had done no more than literally just sleep together.

Tamwyn leaned back on the rock and took in slow and steady breaths, closing his eyes, although keeping his ears open to his surroundings. The house had a security team so Tamwyn knew no one would sneak onto the premises that wasn't supposed to be there but that didn't mean he let himself get sloppy. Idly he considered his intentions. Soon, within the next few days, he would leave, traveling around wherever life struck his fancy. Priya would join him and they would travel together. He hadn't fully considered where they would go yet but he would probably just pick a place from the map that seemed to work with him. After all, he didn't have orders to follow anymore. Did not have duties to perform for a military power. His only task from his sister besides protecting her when she needed it was keeping an eye out for possible lucrative opportunities for her to take advantage of. Which he could do as he traveled with no issue. He had total freedom of movement for the first time in his life and he didn't know what to do with it, go figure. Still, he would figure something out.

[1]

Priya had never resented any task assigned to her by Kara, she took them all in stride and completed them quickly and efficiently. This particular task though was far from just neutral work ethic, this task she actually enjoyed. Quite thoroughly. Tamwyn was good company, she’d developed an interesting professional rivalry with Allen and she had more time to herself the last week and a half than she’d had in years. Every night since she’d been assigned to Tamwyn she’d slept with him, patiently comforting him until he slept and trying to guide him to a healthier outlook. Really her true task was to ensure that his grief didn’t lead him down a dark or dangerous path. She’d done the same for Kara and so had a bit of experience, though there seemed to be some fundamental differences between the siblings as they worked through their grief. Or just in general.

Priya had watched as Tamwyn trained, tending to her own training to pass the time. He was clearly skilled enough that at this point he wasn’t learning anything new, merely honing the masterful skill he already had. And it was a privilege to watch. When he finished and retired to the hot spring she would follow along behind him, not too close though, she wanted him to have a few minutes of privacy before she made her presence known. She imagined that it wasn’t always pleasant to have every move you made observed, so she had been trying to give him some space when she thought it was safe to do so.

When she finally approached the hot spring she would remove her usual leather outfit, leaving herself clothed in an offwhite linen undershirt and underwear, and she carefully placed her clothes on a nearby stone before walking to the edge of the spring. She wasn’t concerned if Tamwyn watched her disrobe, she was certainly close enough for him to do so if he wished, she just went about her business as though it was just another part of her day. Totally not weird to get undressed in front of her bosses super hot brother. When she was standing at the edge of the steaming hot water, she would look down at the reclining white haired man assuming he was still sitting there, and gave him her signature friendly smirk. “Room for one more?”

Priya showed up a few minutes after he got settled and he flashed her an easy grin as he saw her. He had very little in the way of privacy since coming to Darhkvale but he didn't really resent that when the company he had was so good. Still, she tried to give him small amounts of time where she could justify it given what were probably her instructions from his sister. She had to make sure he was okay, and not spiraling down into dangerous line of thinking and potential action. He did not blame Kara, or Priya for working to make sure he was okay. As a matter of fact he cherished them all the more for it. Because he knew he had not been okay in a while. Still, he was healing, or at least beginning to. His amber eyes followed Priya as she undressed into a simple linen undershirt and underwear. She would carefully place her normal clothing on a nearby rock and move to the edge of the spring he occupied. Then she would look down at him, meeting his eyes and give him a smirk before asking if there was more room.

Tamwyn however was at a bit of a crossroad, he had seen Priya get undressed before, they hadn't done anything sexual but when you slept next to someone, holding them close to you for comfort you tended to find out quickly how they looked beneath the layers of clothing they wore. He had felt desire for the woman from the first day of his arrival. The same day he had learned of his wifes passing. He had beaten himself up in grief for feeling that way. Turned against him as the only target left he had for himself and called himself monstrous, callous, and uncaring. Yet he had come to the conclusion that the reason he was so attracted to the woman was that she was so different from his dearly departed wife. He didn't feel the same draw toward Kaylee, or any of the other extremely attractive women found in Darhkvale. He had felt it with Priya though, and they had set rules at the start. She wouldn't take advantage of his mental state despite wanting him as well. He meanwhile would only make a play when he felt he was ready. She could of course overrule the attempt, no was no after all. However he had kept to that rule steadfast. Because he hadn't felt ready to be intimate mentally yet, even if it was just for the pleasures of the flesh and not the deeply connected love making that he and Yenn had taken part in together.

Except he found when he looked at Priya, his desire, his want, was clear to him. Yet any lingering guilt at the concept seemed to be gone. He knew if she had looked anything like Yenn he would be nowhere near ready for physical intimacy. The similarities would draw the visage of his wife to his minds eye as sure as the sun rose. So while he knew now that he could handle having such a relationship with 'Priya'. He was not able to handle it with anyone else, yet. That would change in time, as he got used to seeing similarities in other women. From the skin tone, to the eye color, to her hair and style of dress. He would find something to remind him of Yenn in many women and he wouldn't be able to act. However with this woman, who's skin tone was a beautiful dark brown tone. Who's voice sounded nothing alike, who's hair, while the same colour, was thicker than Yenn's by a fair degree and who's willingness to show some skin in her normal apparel was completely at odds with Yenn's feelings in the same regard. This woman, he could act with now, if she wished.

He felt he should feel some sort of 'click' or as if something had settled into place within him on the path of renewal for himself. However he felt, normal. The lack of any real tell besides the epiphany left him mildly surprised and he blinked a few times in response to the feeling. He would recover quickly though before responding. "Sorry, didn't mean to zone out there." He would say, his tone apologetic. "Yes, most definitely yes." He would say, flashing his own grin at her as he nodded for her to join him in the hot spring. It was large enough for two or three with room to spare but that was still somewhat intimate depending on where one sat. Regardless of where she sat in the tub, next to him, or on the other side, he would turn his yellow eyes to her. "I think I'm ready to travel at this point. How do you feel about heading out in a couple of days?" He would ask, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Priya’s smirk was met with. . . nothing for a second. And she wondered in that moment if she was being too forward, but Tamwyn quickly recovered and apologized for being lost in thought. Priya thought nothing of that, the man was frequently lost in thought since she’d met him, understandably. With a single firm nod she would lower herself into the steaming waters, her body slipping into the water without making a splash as she landed about a foot from Tamwyn’s left side. With a dramatic sigh Priya would lean back against the edge of the pool and close her eyes as she let the heat of the water seep into her tired muscles. As soon as the water touched her underclothes the pale coloured fabric became translucent and it did make her wonder why she had bothered to keep the clothing on at all.

She knew exactly why, she’d become very comfortable around the handsome man and besides the fact that she found him attractive there was a certain ease she felt in his presence. When he asked what she thought about beginning travelling in a couple of days she would open one eye and glance towards him with a smile on her face. She was perfectly content to spend her days with Tamwyn here at his estate, or on the road. Either way she had good company, peaceful days and relative safety. “Ready to go already, are you?” She chuckled and then sighed again, raising her arms above her head as she stretched out her muscles. “I feel fine about it, if that’s what you want. I can be ready at a moment's notice, just say the word. Any idea where you want to go?”

She would nod at his response and settle into the water not an arms reach from him. She would sigh heavily as the soothing heat worked its way into sore and tired muscles and the pale underclothes she wore seemed to disappear once they were wet. When he asked his question she would open one way and look toward him with a smile. Her question would draw a chuckle from him before he answered. Deciding to use his words to give her a hint as to his mental, and emotional health. "In more ways than you know.." He would say simply as she stretched and sighed. She would elaborate about her feelings on traveling, asking a question of her own. He would simply look toward her fully, amber eyes taking her in for a moment before answering with a shrug. "I've got all the freedom in the world now. Figured I'd throw a knife at a map." He would say, his tone wry with amusement. Although it was not precisely a joke. Never before had he really been free to pick where he went before. Kara had asked him to keep an eye out for lucrative prospects for her however she couldn't predict what or where those prospects were. So she hadn't asked him to go anywhere specific.

That mean he could literally pick a point on a map and say 'lets go there'. It was a novel feeling and he was kind of looking forward to it. He leaned his head back against his rock for a moment, letting his mind wander as the heat continued its relaxing task. Faint wisps of steam rose from the spring and the stars slowly becoming more and more visible as the sun finished it's descent gave the night a feel to it that he couldn't describe. After a few moments his eyes opened and he turned them to her. Reaching out with a hand, he would move to gently run his fingers along his companions cheek. The gesture gentle, but telling. "Come closer?" He would ask, letting her make the decision on if she would or not. That had been the deal, and he was going to make damn sure he followed both the letter and the spirit of it. If she chose to come closer he would make to pull her into a kiss, a gentle, but probing kiss, meant to test the waters of what would be allowed here.

Despite being initially lost in thought, it seemed that Tamwyn was in a flirtatious and generally good mood, which made Priya quite pleased. When she asked where he wanted to go and he said he’d probably just throw a knife at a map, Priya laughed heartily. “I suppose that’s one way to do it. It’ll have to be blindfolded though, I mean you’re not quite as accurate as I am with a knife, but close.” She enjoyed teasing him, his grin was always worth going that extra mile to see. She wasn’t romantically attracted to him in any way, but as a caring person she appreciated seeing him happier. He certainly deserved some happiness after what he’d been through.

When his hand moved to run his fingers down her cheek she would lean into his touch slightly, giving him a smile at the sudden affection. His request for her to come closer caused her smile to widen and she would shift over the few inches to close the gap between them, allowing him to pull her into a kiss. She returned it gently, taking the time to enjoy the feel of his lips against hers and the extra heat it added to her. After a few moments she would pull back from him, only far enough that she could look into his eyes without difficulty. From there she would search his face; she was looking for doubt, uncertainty or pain. She needed to know that he was ready and that she wasn’t going to be causing him further pain by reciprocating his carnal desire. “Are you sure?” She let the words hang between them, her rich voice adding gravity to the question. She wanted him, had since she’d first laid eyes on him, but she was unwilling to do anything that would cause him distress. And it had to be his clear headed choice, so she would sit quietly and wait for his reply, not doing anything that might influence his decision as she waited.

She leaned into his touch and when he asked her to come closer she would smile and do so. The kiss that followed stoked the flames he'd found and he felt no guilt for this. He relished that feeling, enjoyed it, and felt it bring him ever closer to being human again. She pulled out of the kiss then and looked him into the eyes, searching his face. When she asked if he was sure he would smile at her before speaking. "If it was anyone else Priya, I wouldn't be ready. I'd see too many similarities between them and her. But you're so different from her that I don't have that reaction. I feel no guilt, no shame, only desire for the physical pleasure we can give to one another. So yes, I'm sure. Just don't be surprised if it's only you I can do this with for a while." He would say with a sheepish little chuckle. Should his answer be good enough for her, he would move his hands to her white undershirt, it would only be in the way now and his amber eyed gaze would meet her dark eyed one as he spoke. "Gently, or in pieces?" He would ask, his tone so cavalier about the question that it was a bit of a surprise.

Nonchalantly asking if she would rather have the intruding garments torn off or taken off gently in such a tone was a bit different for him. However he found he didn't mind it. It added a bit of feral generosity to his demeanor and in general that was how he seemed to himself at times. So he felt it fit. He would do without she chose of course. If she chose the gentle method he would find the hem of the linen shirt and lift it over her head and toss it aside somewhere out of the spring. Where wasn't important so long as it didn't land in a fire or something. If she chose 'in pieces' he would get a good hold of the material and tear it off of her. The invisible barrier between them gone, he would move to pull her against him, making to take her into another kiss in the process as the press of their bodies together brought his ever mounting desire higher and higher.

[4]

Priya sat silently and listened to Tamwyn’s reply to her question. It seemed that he had given it serious thought at least, and wasn’t just grasping at straws to sate his lust. Nodding she would rise up to her knees so that her torso was out of the water with his hands on the hem of her linen undershirt. “If you’re sure, then in pieces.” She gave him a mischievous smile as she looked down at him and gasped in delight as he tore the flimsy fabric away from her body.

This was what she had been patiently waiting for for a very long time. She had found him attractive of course, but she’d needed confirmation that he was actually ready and not just using her as a bandage for the wound left by the loss of his wife. She moved smoothly into his arms, straddling him in one fluid motion and placing each of her palms on either side of his face. She returned his kiss with passion, her hips and back undulating in time with her beating heart. Her mouth would part as her tongue slipped out to taste his, a tiny happy sound escaping as well as she smiled into their kiss. After a few moments she would pull back again, this time not to ask a question of him, this time she had a demand. “Everywhere, Tamwyn. I want to feel your mouth everywhere.” She would move one of her hands to the back of his head as she rose up higher on her knees, guiding his mouth towards her breast.