I usually thank @balfeheughlywed at this point because she is my reading gal and puts me straight when I am gone off course. But this week I almost broke her! So I really want to thank her for all her tiredless, 'but why? and straight out this isn't right talk she gave me. She always hits the nail on the head and made me do a bit of soul searching (dramatic much?) The epic @notevenjokingfic took my jibberish plot planning and really cleaned it up and set me straight again, I am actually giddy with the what we decided on and for the first time in ages can't wait to write! I also want to thank @ladyviolethummingbird and @laythornmuse who support this little fic so much and regularly squeal or shout at me in DM about their writing or often just random bants which really helps when I can't write a sentence. A little NSFW below the cut.
Crawling up the length of my body, she nipped and sucked each expanse of skin, ignoring the part that needed her mouth most, teasing.
Dark curls were falling around her shoulders, almost reaching her naked breasts. Cheeks rosy red from desire and the heat of our bodies.
My hand sought a nipple, but she moved quickly to evade my grasp. Her head fell back in a naughty giggle. I attempted to reach for her hips, encouraging her nearer.
“uh uh,” she waggled a delicate finger at me. “Patience Jamie”
“Sassenach” – I surprised myself with the begging groan that came from my mouth – “I canna wait I need to be inside ye.” My hands were flailing around me as I attempted to pull her mouth to mine.
“all in good time” she whispered against my lips, not quite touching as her hand crept down and cupped my balls.
I was rocking brazenly beneath her, willing her hips to lock with mine as they should be, two magnets moulded to fit each other.
“you’ve been a bold boy Mr Fraser, and I intend on punishing you for it”, she squeezed
lightly making my cock twitch on demand.
“Aye,” I replied, bobbing my head eagerly “I have”, her tongue slid down the length of me, drawing a hiss from my mouth as my hand cupped the back of her head. “Claire” I pleaded again, earning me a stern look as she bent to my groin. She gently ran her teeth along my shaft, hips bucking off the bed now, decency be damned I was aching for her.
“That’s it” she crooned. “Do as I say.”
Her hand ghosted over my stomach and chest, clutching for mine, once she grasped it she pulled it down to her mouth using the flat of her tongue to glide over my palm. “Touch yourself for me, Jamie”. My balls felt they were near to bubbling and my head fell back against the pillow. “I canna Claire – I.”
Her voice sure and smooth rose up against my ear, “you can Jamie, it’s just us.” she guided my hand down to my cock, “show me how you like it?”
Her hair swept around her face, she bit deeply into her bottom lip, eyes locked on mine, “then you can do whatever you want to me” she offered.
“Oh fuck” I reached down taking myself in hand, shutting my eyes tight. “that’s it” she praised, taking my free hand and placing two fingers into her mouth, she sucked deeply. The sensation of her fingers in her mouth made my stomach coil, I frantically pumped myself while using my free hand to rub and tease her breasts. She purred encouraging words in my ear and ran her tongue over me.
Claire ran her hand in under my ass, cupping a cheek and urging me to lift, my hips raised and met my hand at her inclination, she set the rhythm.
I pleaded to her in Gaelic, praised her, thanked her, told her I loved her. She was the only woman that made me lose English, the irony was not lost on me.
Her mouth continued to suck my fingers in and out, her hips moving in tandem with mine. I knew I was going to come and soon, vaguely thought ye need to stop man or ye willna be no use to her. But I couldn’t, I tried to turn on my side, my body coiling in on itself to reach an end. Claire’s palm firm on my chest pushing me into the bed. “shhh” she whispered
“fuck, ye are amazing, do ye ken that?”
Then her tone changed, “your alarm is going off Jamie”. I lifted my head from the pillow to clutch her to me, but she was gone.
6.00am flashing on the clock beside my bed. Fuck.
My head fell back down as I tried to remember the dream, needed to stay in it for a moment or two longer until my heart rate returned to normal, wanted to pretend she was here beside me flushed with pleasure.
I imagined Claire’s reaction if I told her she haunted my dreams since I arrived here, suddenly the idea of telling her anything hit me like a punch to the stomach, oh god I missed her.
Our calls had been reserved, without saying it, Claire seemed to know I had to be careful of what I said. She didn’t push, but there were things that I wanted to say, they threatened to come bubbling out of me if I didn’t keep myself in check. Knowing each word was noted and logged.
I glanced at my phone to see if she had tried to return any of my calls from the day before. She hadn’t which was odd, she and Willie always rang before bed.
Rising slowly, I showered and prepared for the day. Meeting Geneva at the site before 8am. I had little control over what I did since I arrived. Everything I asked, everything that was asked of me was planned, rehearsed. Rising Geneva out of her bed at stupid o clock, to stand in the pissing rain, was a small triumph in terms of what I could control.
I was bone weary, not so much from the late nights poking and prodding budgets and trying to find a trail, it was the falsity I had to portray when I was around her. Interested.
I glanced at the clock again quickly and tried Claire one more time, she would be waking soon to get Willie ready for school.
It went straight to voicemail. A sliver of anxiety gripped my wame I tried to dismiss it as foolishness, she was probably just asleep, maybe her battery was dead. There was nothing amiss.
____
An hour later, I stood on a cold construction site with Geneva Dunsany, who, apart from a hard construction hat had dressed completely inappropriately for the weather.
As I went through each building explaining what was happening, telling her we were running over, a hopeful look, can she draw down more, how soon can she get it, where could she pull it from. Then let them watch.
I had to work at this, make her trust me. Dinners, sharing of pasts, attentive, make-believe. Never anything I couldn’t come back from, never putting me beyond Claire.
Ignoring her hand on my arm as she asked another nonsensical question about the depth of the Equine Swimming Pool, I forged ahead telling her a larger more expensive design would improve the horse's muscle tone faster, easier trained, quicker sold.
As usual, she bought it, another checkbox ticked.
More dinners, more lies, another set of ears listening and learning. Digging my way out piece by piece.
______
“Ian man, what is going on at home? I have been trying to get Claire on the phone this past two days.” I tried to hide the growing anxiety, Ian would think me daft, but I couldn’t stop it. I had to contact him. Had to know where Claire was.
In hindsight, I should have known instantly, Ian’s voice stuttered slightly, tone hesitant. “Jamie, how are ye, how’s Hellsville?”
I immediately dropped the façade I had planned upon, “what’s wrong with Claire’s phone Ian?”
Another pause.
“Em, I dinna think there is ought wrong with it, man…”
“Is she avoiding me?”
“I’d say that could be more accurate alright.”
Something registered about Ian’s vagueness, almost as bad as my own answers these past few weeks.
“Is Janet listening to ye?”
“Aye.”
“Can ye tell me what I have done to Claire?”
I heard muttering in the background.
“What did Jenny say?”
Another pause.
“She said yer a prick.”
My stomach turned.
“What the hell is wrong Ian, will ye no spit it out and tell Jenny to keep her nib out.”
Ian sighed deeply. “Geneva Dunsany answered yer phone.”
“She what?” I asked incredulously.
“She answered yer phone to Claire?”
My mind was whirling, palms wet. “Why the fuck would she – “
“In the wee hours of the morning” Ian whispered into the phone, I wasn’t sure to protect himself or me.
“When?” – I tried to think quickly, when had she access to my phone, god what was Claire thinking surely she would know I wouldn’t – fuck. I saw her then as clear as day, her face close enough I could touch it. Lips trembling slightly, her back set proudly. A tell she had when she was hardening herself not to cry. “Why Jamie?”
I rucked a hand through my hair, kicking something across the room, “Can you get Claire to talk to me?”
Ian either didn’t hear me or was choosing to ignore me. “She was doing braw Jamie, ye should ha seen her and the lad around the farm helping out, I actually think she mightha stayed…” he trailed off.
“Where is she?”
Suddenly there was shuffling, and Jenny’s voice came on the phone “a bràthair?
“Janet will ye tell Claire –“
“She sat at the table” – Jenny’s tone was nearer a growl “she was fierce, she dinna let Dougal cloud her mind when he insinuated that something was going on with ye and that Dunsany bitch.”
“Claire?” I asked stupidly
“Aye, who do ye think.” Jenny snapped.
“She held her head high and she dinna waiver, but then I said let’s ring Jamie, tell Jamie what the fuck wit of an uncle has been up to, thought we would all have a good laugh at it, I never thought that she would be answering yer fucking phone at 2 o clock in the morning Jamie!” Jenny’s tone was shrill, I knew it she was beyond mad, she was upset.
“Jenny, it’s not what ye think, I dinna ken what Geneva was playing at but – I.”
“Oh she kens exactly what she is playing at” Jenny said through gritted teeth, “She was cute enough to ring Dougal the next morning, told him that she answered yer phone to Claire, said ye were sorry Claire had to find out like that, had Dougal call to Claire in the cottage and do yer bidding .”
A sharp inhale of breath, “In – front – of – Willie” she said pointedly.
My mouth fell open, throat tightening painfully, that conniving bitch, how could I have been so stupid?
“He told Claire” I choked out, “that we were sorry? Jesus”
I said exhaling loudly. Flopping to the bed as my legs gave way.
A voice in the back of my mind kept saying, don’t forget their listening. I didn’t care, I had to know.
“Jenny”, I couldn’t hide the shake in my voice,
“Aye.” Her tone was softer now, her breathing starting to calm.
I swallowed painfully. “Where are Claire and Willie?”
My cheeks were wet, and my heart was thumping so hard I thought it would break through my ribs.
“they’re gone,” she said sorrowfully. “Jamie” – her tone was pleading - “Claire missed ye so much, but she put on such a brave face, the poor lass couldna stay here a day longer thinking ye had betrayed her.”
I pinched my eyes with my thumb and forefinger willing the tears to stop, I sniffed noisily. Jenny’s soft voice was murmuring comfort into the phone, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying.
“Can ye explain it to her Jamie, maybe she will listen to ye…”
“that’s the worst of it Janet” I choked into the phone, “I canna explain it, just now.”
The softening sympathetic tone lacing Jenny's voice suddenly reverted to the shriller tone of earlier. “What do ye mean ye canna explain it? For god’s sake, Jamie do ye want to lose them?”
“Are ye mad Janet, of course, I dinna want that – I just need to think a minute will ye let me think.”
I pressed my lips into a thin line, breathing heavily through my nose as I racked my brain trying to come up with a way to tell Claire, to make her understand what was going on here.
Bile was rising up my throat as I imagined her reaction, what she thought of me, how she must hate me. Fear gripping my insides that I wouldn’t be able to change her mind.
Geneva had planned this, as I was busily conspiring against her and her family, she naively believed that if she removed Claire from the picture, there was something to be gained between her and me, that was my fault.
I had brought this on us, I had followed directions, played along to get the answers, didn’t rebuke unwarranted touches or flirtatious smiles. I had led Geneva to believe there was hope. I had left Claire, and I open to this, it didn’t matter that it was a lie, how would I ever explain this without telling her why?
How could I make her believe it was only her for me? That it was laughable, I would ever want Geneva Dunsany in any way.
I couldn’t go to her yet without sabotaging everything. If I left Geneva would never face the consequences of her action, all of this would have been for nothing.
There had been nothing but silence on the phone for a long time, Jenny just waited as if knowing I had to try and work out what I could say.
I… I need to ask something of you, Jenny?" I said, sometime later, my voice sounded different to my own ear, smaller, less almost.
“Yes,” she said without faltering.
“When ye can get through to Claire, will ye tell her two things from me.”
I heard Jenny swallow, and she hoarsely mumbled: “Aye Jamie, go on.”
“Tell her I love her, and tell her not to forget that I am her obligation, so she needs to try to keep her promise.”
Jenny remained silent, probably wondering what the hell I was going on about, but eventually, I heard static and her sure voice saying “Aye, I will a bràthair.”
If nothing else, the fear in my tone had achieved one thing. My sister believed me, without reason or explanation, she knew.
I hung up the phone, one thing clear in my mind. I had to get word to Claire. I couldn’t lose her.
Vitya had bid him goodbye with a wave, sending him back to the village with the elf’s request buzzing in the back of his mind. Vitya had been bright and happy, the oncoming winter caught in the bright blue-green of his eyes as he gripped Yuuri’s forearm and made the request with a determined look.
It has Yuuri distracted for the whole week, ruminating over what Vitya might possibly have to show him, what is so important that Vitya would look so uncharacteristically serious. Mari comments on his preoccupation, poking at his side when he’s skinning rabbits - or meant to be skinning them, he’s sat with a knife in one hand and staring at the rabbits with a small frown. “What’s up with you? You’ve been out of it for days!”
Yuuri puts her off with half answers, ‘he's worried about the forest’, ‘he's wondering if they'll catch much game next summer,’. Mari picks up the thread of conversation and talks at him for half an hour about how there had been a bad summer the year that she was four and they'd managed to make it through by tightening belts that winter. Yuuri nods along to the familiar story, humming in the right places and is grateful his big sister isn't any sharper eyed. If she were, she would notice that he was coming back from Lindalde once a week empty handed and exhausted after his treks with Vitya.
By the time Yuuri makes it to the clearing that week he's wrung out with worry, having lost more than one night's sleep to wondering just what Vitya might be so determined to show him. His pack is heavy against his back, laden with enough food to feed the pair of them, and he’s even brought blankets just in case they don't make it back in time…
“You look like a pack horse.” Vitya emerges from the Rowans with a raised brow, taking in Yuuri’s precautions in one swift look. Yuuri shrinks a little at the comment, knowing that his tendency to overthink might have pushed him in the wrong direction.
“Sorry… you didn't say how long…” Yuuri trails off feeling uncomfortable with the elf for the first time in weeks. “I thought it best to -”
“No, no! It's good. There's a bit of a walk ahead of us and I'm sure you've brought enough for us to get there safe and happy!” Vitya rushes to assure him, stepping closer and laying a hand to his shoulder. “Thank you, Yuuri.”
“What are you thanking me for? My over packing?” Yuuri asks weakly, his heart thumping at the touch of Vitya’s hand and the way the elf had smiled as he thanked him. Vitya’s laugh is light and sweet, a balm against Yuuri’s nerves.
“I'm thanking you in advance.” The elf tells him, with an expression that Yuuri can't quite place. He doesn't get a chance to puzzle it out before Vitya is turning away and calling over his shoulder. “We had better head out, it might take a while for us to get there.”
“To get where?” Yuuri asks, not expecting an answer as he hurries to catch up. True to form, Vitya doesn't answer him, but chimes ‘You'll see!’ as Yuuri falls into step beside him.
They wend their way through the forest, conversation sporadic as Vitya leads them with his head high. Yuuri has seen Vitya playful, has seen him serious, has seen him anxious and worried, but has never seen him looking so solidly resolute as he is right now. It's such a juxtaposition from his usually high-spirits that Yuuri keeps finding himself watching the elf as he moves, each step deliberate and sure.
Hours slide by them, they’re deep in the forest and for the first time in years Yuuri isn’t able to orient himself by landmark. It should make him nervous, but Vityas steady pace and sure steps are reassuring, guiding him where he cannot.
When they settle at the roots of a gnarled tree, far older than those near the village, Yuuri asks again where they're headed. Vitya grins at the question, “Don't you trust me, Yuuri?” he asks playfully but the question makes Yuuri pause.
He does trust Vitya, he trusts his kindness to Makka and his sunny smiles while they walk together. He trusts Vitya’s love of the forest and his honesty in wanting to find a way to bring it back from its slumber.
Yuuri trusts Vitya in a way that he's only ever trusted a few; his family, his mentors, his childhood friends…
“Of course I trust you, Vitya.” Yuuri tries to keep his voice as airy as Vitya’s had been, but he know he fails - Vitya’s frown evidence enough of his miss. Yuuri casts around for another subject quickly, scrambling to save face. “Where's Makka today?”
It's not much of a conversation starter; “Probably getting up to mischief somewhere.” Vitya shrugs and answers around a mouthful of peach. Yuuri’s half tempted to chide him for his manners, but the elf looks so happy that Yuuri lets it go and helps himself to a handful of berries.
“How is the forest? Have you heard it sing recently?” Yuuri asks when he’s not chewing.
Vitya gives him an assessing look that has Yuuri hoping he hasn’t got berry juice on his chin. “There was something… but I’m not sure. I still think it has something to do with you…” Vitya trails off, looking lost in thought and Yuuri doesn’t push the subject, even though he’s buzzing with questions. Instead he ruminates over them as they pack up the remnants of their lunch and start walking again.
As the sun passes over them, heavy in the sky and casting long shadows in the afternoon, Vitya starts to hesitate in his direction. It’s not much, a frown here and a glance above them there, but Yuuri notices that the elf seems less sure of their path now. “Are you okay? We’re not lost are we?”
“No, no! Not lost!” Vitya waves a hand breezily and glances above them again, drawing Yuuri’s gaze but whatever is occupying him is beyond Yuuri’s sight. “I’m just not used to getting there on the forest floor, I’m making sure we’re still on track.”
“If you don’t walk there how on earth do you get there?” Yuuri wonders aloud, not expecting an answer.
“I don’t go ‘by earth’ I go by tree!” Vitya tells him cheerfully. When Yuuri frowns in confusion at the answer Vitya beckons him to his side, and points above them. “See, just there…”
Yuuri doesn’t see, he frowns deeper and squints up to the eaves. Seeing his expression Vitya pulls Yuuri flush to his front and pulls his wrist up, pointing with Yuuri’s fingers to a twist of branches that Yuuri had overlooked as a casualty of the forest’s hibernation.
“See that? It’s a sky-bridge.” Vitya’s breath is warm against Yuuri’s cheek and Yuuri is suddenly aware of the fact that they’re pressed front to back and Vitya’s fingers are on his hip. A blush works its way to his cheeks as he nods. “There was a time long ago when every tree in the forest was connected by the sky-bridges, then the forest outgrew the elves and we stopped building them - or so I was told when I was young.”
Vitya sounds wistful, far away and lost in memories. Yuuri wishes he had the courage to turn in Vitya’s arms and offer him some small comfort - words or maybe a hug - but he doesn’t.
“There aren’t many of the bridges that are still maintained, only the ones I can keep up with…” The fingers against Yuuri’s hip tighten for a second, a tiny grip that speaks volumes.
“So all of this… used to be the elves homes?”
“Some, yes others were storestrees and meeting trees. It - there used to be a community but…” The fingers at Yuuri’s wrist tremble and Yuuri can’t help but turn his hand, steadying Vitya’s hand with his own and pressing their palms together.
“You don’t have to -” He whispers, he doesn’t dare speak any louder because he can feel Vitya’s chest connect to his back in a steadying breath.
“I know. I… I’m okay.” Vitya parts their bodies, dropping Yuuri’s hand as he turns back to their path. “Just… follow me? I’ll explain soon but I want to show you…”
Vitya looks young and lost when he turns back to Yuuri, he looks alone and scared. Yuuri nods again, falling into step beside the elf and letting his fingers glance across the back of Vitya’s hand.
When Vitya takes the touch for the invitation it is, and links their fingers again, Yuuri gives his hand a reassuring squeeze he hopes Vitya takes as the reassurance he’s giving.
Molly's Future Mishaps Chapter 11: Human Anatomy 101
Leaf volunteers to be the first ever living being to warp through time… and not only that, the first thing to ever be warped to Earth pre-destruction! However, due to the underdeveloped technology, things don’t quite go as planned…
First it was chewing through the bars, now he’s catching and breaking knives between his teeth. Forget about using the rubber man abilities, Luffy should just go around attacking with his teeth first
