To Finally Belong

Chapter 14 – A Bad Patient

Círa opened her eyes, disoriented, only to find that Haldir was carrying her as he ran through the forest.

“Put me down,” she told him, with as much effort as she could manage. “I can walk.”

“You cannot walk!” he told her, his face a mask of concern. “You cannot even stand! Why did you not tell me how serious your injuries were?”

“We were in the midst of a battle and I did not wish to distract you more than I have already done,” she managed to get the words out.

“You have never distracted me from doing my duties, Círa. Never,” he told her. “We shall speak more about that later, but for now, we need to get help for you.”

“I am fine,” she said, before she passed out again.

Haldir placed a hand on her heart and was rewarded with a faint beat. Relieved, he continued to run, finally coming to the small talan. He laid her softly on the ground, not sure whether she would be staying at the Northern Fences or going back to Caras Galadhon. Círa woke again and began to struggle, trying to get up. Having no choice, Haldir placed a hand on her forehead and stilled her with a sleeping spell. She would be upset with him but he suspected that the elleth was not going to be cooperative. Jarl, the warden who had healing skills, did a quick appraisal before turning to Haldir.

“The bone in her arm is broken, all the way through. She had it immobilized so I am guessing that she tried to fix it herself, maybe even succeeded, but it is out of place again and I will need to set it. It is good that you have given her the sleeping spell, because this will hurt, tremendously. There is a terrible gash in the flesh over the break as well, and she has other wounds on her shoulder and her right arm. There may also be more that I have not seen yet.”

“Should we take her back to Caras Galadhon or can you heal her here?” Haldir asked.

“I am not sure what to tell you,” the warden said. “These are serious wounds and I would feel better having Lady Galadriel or one of her healers attend to Círa because of that fact. On the other hand, she has lost a lot of blood and I do not know if she should risk the trip, since she would undoubtedly be jostled and that could cause her wounds to open. Let me see if I can stop the bleeding.”

He worked on her for over an hour, concentrating mainly on setting the broken arm and tending to the ragged gash around it, making sure it was thoroughly cleaned and packed with an herbal mixture, then tightly bandaged. Haldir helped by doing what he was told and retrieving supplies as needed, though he had to look away when Jarl began to work on the open wound.

“Haldir, you have seen worse injuries than this,” Jarl told him, surprised.

“Not on Círa,” Haldir informed him quietly. “It is different.”

The healer nodded, understanding, and he turned to Haldir when he was done.

“I think we should keep her here,” he suggested. “The bleeding has stopped for now, but she needs to stay still or the wounds could open again. When we feel that the immediate danger is past, you may wish to take her back to Caras Galadhon and have her arm inspected. I have done everything with it that I can.”

“Lady Galadriel has sent more wardens and they should arrive soon, which will enable me to stay with Círa. I will keep her in the talan and take care of her myself,” Haldir decided.

“Can you carry her up into the talan without disturbing her arm?” Jarl asked.

Haldir nodded and cautiously placed her over his shoulder to carry her up the rope ladder. When he got to the top, he laid her down carefully on the bedroll that they had recently shared.

“She needs to be undressed so that we can see if there are other wounds,” the healer said.

Haldir nodded, grabbing a second, lighter blanket to cover her body. Since her clothing was already ruined, he used a knife to cut the material away, leaving her naked beneath the blanket. He looked her over and saw a long gash on her ribs, but nothing else. He relayed this information to Jarl, who asked Haldir if he could see it. Haldir covered Círa’s upper body with a cloth, just exposing her ribs and midsection. Jarl frowned, touching the puffy, red edges of the wound.

“This one has poison in it,” the healer told Haldir gravely. “The others did not.”

Haldir looked closer and could see that the wound looked different than the others had.

“What can we do?” the Marchwarden asked.

“I know of some herbs that may help to counter it,” the warden told Haldir. “I will return soon.”

Haldir bathed Círa with a wet cloth while he waited for Jarl. He knew how important it was to the elleth to be clean and she would not want to awaken with Uruk blood staining her body. The Marchwarden found himself getting aroused as he ran the cloth over her smooth skin and it bothered him. This was definitely neither the time nor the place to be thinking the thoughts he was thinking, but he could not help it. He had only seen her naked once, and it had been from a much greater distance. She was perfect, he thought, looking her over as he cleaned her body. Silently reprimanding himself for his lustful thoughts, he finished as quickly as possible and covered her with the blanket. Using the wet cloth, he tried to wash the Uruk blood out of her hair, but it was difficult; there was so much of it. Later, he would get clean water later and try to wash her hair and that would make her happy. The thought that she might never wake crossed his mind, but he refused to dwell on that possibility. She had to wake. Without her, his life would be nothing.

Haldir lay down on the blanket next to Círa and placed a protective arm across her. He sensed that she needed to know that somebody was near so he held her, trying to avoid her injured areas. When Jarl returned, he found them laying together on the bedroll but if it surprised him, the elf did not show it. Haldir wondered if maybe his wardens would be more understanding about his relationship with Círa than he had originally assumed. Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn had certainly not had a problem with it when he spoke to them briefly during his short trip back.

Lifting Círa to a sitting position and supporting her with his arm, Haldir held her while Jarl managed to get her to drink some of the herb-infused liquid. The Marchwarden agreed to try to give her some of the tonic every few hours.

“Please send Orophin to me,” Haldir asked the warden when he rose to leave. “And Jarl?”

The warden turned to him.

“Thank you for helping Círa,” Haldir said solemnly.

Jarl nodded before leaving the talan. The warden hoped that she would survive, but he made no promises.

Carefully lowering her back down to the bed, Haldir paced the talan until Orophin arrived. The Marchwarden informed his brother that he would continue to be in charge for a while, until Círa was healed. They discussed a few necessary details, such as Tamor’s funeral and where the replacement wardens would go but Haldir noticed that Orophin seemed unhappy about something.

“Orophin, what is bothering you?” he asked.

“I hate being in charge, Haldir. I always wonder if I am making the right decisions,” he admitted.

“Orophin, you did a wonderful job while I was gone! Every decision you have made has been the right one,” Haldir assured him. He smiled and admitted to his brother, “I still wonder when I make a decision if it is the correct one, and I have been doing this job for many years. We make mistakes, but we learn from them. You will do this, too. You need to have more confidence in yourself, my brother, because I have the utmost confidence in you.”

Looking a little more self-assured, Orophin thanked his brother and left, promising to send somebody later to check on Círa’s progress.

~~~

Círa opened her eyes and realized she was in a talan, the small talan from the looks of it. She felt Haldir’s arm across her waist and she turned to find him gazing at her. Almost immediately, she lost herself in his eyes as he pushed a strand of hair from her face. Closing the short distance between them, he kissed her lightly before pulling back again.

“It is daytime,” she told him, rather groggily. “We should be on patrol.”

Haldir shook his head. “Círa, you were very badly injured. You shall be recovering for a while and I am staying with you to make sure that it happens.”

“Then I am keeping you from your duties!” she said, upset.

“No! Now stop that right now!” he told her firmly. “My duties are also to see that my wardens receive the care they need when they are wounded. Did I not take Rúmil back to Caras Galadhon?”

“Yes, but I doubt that you wrapped yourself around Rúmil and snuggled up to him the way you are doing with me,” she told him pointedly.

“No, he had two elleths to handle those duties. Somehow, I do not find myself wanting to snuggle up to Rúmil as I do you,” he said, wryly.

She tried to sit up. “You must go back to your command and I will come with you.”

“No, Círa,” he told her adamantly. “I have left Orophin in charge and the replacements are here. You will rest and that is an order.”

“Haldir!” she said, growing agitated.

He placed a palm on her forehead. “Do I need to do another sleeping spell?”

Letting out a pent-up breath, she finally gave in. “No, I do not want a sleeping spell!”

Still she tried to get up. “I do need to bathe, though, and you are not going to stop me.”

She slumped back into his arms immediately after Haldir touched her forehead. He lay her back down knowing that she would be even unhappier with him when she woke the next time.

~~~

It was during the night that Círa began to have a reaction to the poison. Haldir had been awake for some time, noticing how restless she was, even with the sleeping spell. It was a struggle to get her to drink some of the herbal tonic, but she finally managed to get a small portion of it down. Jarl had been called to the talan but the warden told Haldir that he had already done everything in his power to help her. The rest would be up to the will of the Valar. A message sent to Lady Galadriel netted similar results. It was out of their hands now and though Haldir did not like that answer, he was helpless to do anything about it.

Checking Círa’s wounds again, the Marchwarden saw that the gash on her ribs was looking even worse than it had earlier. He took a cloth with some of the herbal tonic on it and applied it directly to the wound, only to have her wince at the touch. Setting the cloth aside, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her throughout the long night as she slept fitfully and struggled against him. When morning came, Círa finally began to calm and Haldir was able to get her to drink more of the tonic. At last she slept deeply and it appeared that she was now out of danger. Haldir thanked the Valar for the mercy they had shown the elleth, hoping that the worst of it was over.

~~~

Círa woke again and immediately turned to smack Haldir on the shoulder, hard.

“Why did you hit me?” he asked, confused. She had been peacefully asleep for twenty-four hours now.

“Because you made me sleep again!” she told him, annoyed. “I cannot just lay here for days. How long has it been?”

“Days,” he admitted. “And you will continue to lay here until you have healed.”

“Haldir, my back hurts from being in one position for so long,” she told him, shifting and trying to get up.

“I will do it again, if you do not hold still!” Haldir threatened, placing his palm near her forehead.

She lay back and glared. “I wish to check the wounds and see how they are. May I do that or will you knock me unconscious for another week?”

“I will check them for you,” he told her. He carefully lifted the bandage on her shoulder first and found that it was healed well enough to leave it uncovered. The broken arm seemed to be knitting well, though Haldir thought that he would feel better if Lady Galadriel could look it over. It was the gash on her left arm that was the worst, as the cut had gone all the way to the bone, but it was also healing well. Remembering the wound on her ribs, Círa tossed the blanket aside to look at it. She glanced at Haldir when she heard him gasp.

“What is wrong? This one is almost completely gone,” she said, running a finger over it.

Haldir groaned and watched her finger trace the light red mark. “It is not the wound that is the problem,” he growled. “You should warn me before you bare your body to me.”

Círa smiled, but then grew sad, remembering why she had left in the first place. Nothing had changed though she and Haldir had not discussed it yet.

“I am sorry Haldir. You understand that I cannot join with you now, do you not?” she asked him.

“Not now, because you are injured, but soon,” he told her, stroking her cheek.

“No, not ever,” she whispered, looking away. “I cannot destroy your reputation. I know what it would do to you and I cannot let that happen.”

“Círa, listen to me,” he told her, turning her head towards him. “What Tamor told you was a lie. He…had some problems that we will discuss later. What is important is that you understand the truth. You have never distracted me from doing my duty and a union with you will not contaminate me in any way. I do not know a single elf that holds your past against you, now that Tamor is gone, least of all Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. They both like you very much and would like for us to be together.”

“You know this for a fact?” she asked.

“Yes, I spoke with both of them when I took Rúmil back. They like you very much. They think that we are good for each other and I have to agree,” he smiled.

“Then I do not have to leave?” she asked, eyes hopeful.

“I will not let you leave,” he told her, arching a brow. “If I have to tie you to the bed to keep you here, I will do so.”

“Then what would you do?” she asked him quietly, letting a small smile creep across her face.

Haldir froze then swallowed as he pictured what he would like to do with her if he ever had her tied down to the bed. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts, he said, “Let us talk about something else right now.”

She took his hand and repositioned it upon her breast.

“Círa!” he said, his voice strained. “Let us not start something that we will have to stop. The minute you are healed…”

“My arm is the only problem and we will just avoid it,” she told him, not letting him pull his hand away.

He told her softly, “I do not wish to hurt you, yet I do not know if I can be gentle enough with you the first time. We have waited this long, let us wait until you are completely healed.”

Smiling, she took her free hand and placed it upon his leggings, feeling his rather large erection through the material.

“I do not think that you truly wish to wait,” she told him.

He groaned and kissed her deeply…then placed his hand on her forehead again. She was going to kill him when she woke this time, but maybe she would be healed enough at that point for him to distract her. Turning her onto her good side, he repositioned her so that her body would not grow stiff from laying on her back for so long.

Now that she was out of danger, Haldir’s only concern was Círa’s broken arm and he doubted that he could convince the elleth not to use it. Fortunately, elves healed quickly, but it would take some effort to keep her still. He debated over taking her back to Caras Galadhon and letting Lady Galadriel deal with the problem but he did not really think that it would become necessary. According to Jarl, it looked as though the break was healing well and she should eventually regain full use of the arm. If he had to, he would use the sleeping spell again.

For the next two days, he kept her unconscious, shifting her position from time to time so that she would not get sore. He felt bad about keeping her asleep, but it was for her own good. Not only was he not sure that he could resist temptation if she were awake, but she would undoubtedly not behave herself. When it seemed that her injuries had finally healed sufficiently that she would be able to use her arm carefully, he allowed her to wake. When her eyes finally opened that evening, she glared at him.

“If you touch my forehead again, it will be a year before I let you join with me,” she told him coldly.

“In that case, I will not touch your forehead again, because I plan to join with you tonight,” he told her, touching his lips to hers. As first she did not respond, but that changed quickly. Círa couldn’t help but smile at Haldir when he pulled back, completely forgetting that she was angry with him.

Again, he lowered his mouth to hers and gently kissed her. “But not until after you have eaten. You have not had anything but herbal tonics and tiny pieces of Lembas bread for many days.”

“And I wish to bathe,” she told him. Touching her hair, she was surprised to notice that it felt clean and she mentioned this to him.

“I washed it for you, Círa,” he told her.

“How did you manage that?” she asked him.

“It was not easy. I had others bring water to the talan and I washed it here. I made a mess on the floor, but you did not seem to mind,” he told her, running his fingers through her blonde tresses.

“That is the most thoughtful thing that anybody has ever done for me,” she told him, almost overcome by her emotions. She was sure it had not been an easy feat to accomplish and he could have easily made her wait.

“I would do anything for you, Círa,” he told her, his eyes smoldering as he kissed her again.

“I hope you mean that,” she told him, trying to keep her voice even. “Because I have several things that I would like you to do, after we eat and bathe.”

Haldir’s eyes blazed at that comment and he had to remind himself that he could not take her just yet. Instead, he helped her to stand, which was difficult because her legs were weak and did not want to support her. When he saw how shaky she was, he insisted upon carrying her down the ladder, though she was not happy about it. When they reached the ground, she demanded that he allow her to walk, though she had to hang onto his arm most of the way. They found Orophin, Jarl and Rúmil at the other talan, gathered around a small campfire eating venison. The wardens all stood to welcome Círa back.

“Rúmil!” Círa said, surprised to see him. “You are well now?”

“I could have used a few more days of recovery time, but my cruel brother insisted I return,” the elf told her, trying to look pitiful.

Círa glanced at Haldir.

“Rúmil’s wound was healed. He just did not wish to leave because he had two elleth’s caring for him, tending to his every need,” Haldir explained. “Sometimes I think he gets wounded intentionally, just for the pity he receives from these elleths.”

Rúmil grinned sheepishly. “It is not intentional but when our tour of duty is done, I shall have to make sure that they both know that I still have some pain.”

“You still have pain?” Orophin asked, surprised.

“Well, no, but do not tell them that,” Rúmil said. “But how are you, Círa? I heard that your wounds were very severe.”

She shrugged. “I am fine, just hungry.”

Orophin handed her some of the venison along with a cup of wine. Thanking him, she ripped into the meat, unable to stop herself. She did not remember being this hungry in a long time and the food tasted wonderful.

Círa noticed that Haldir seemed to be in a hurry to leave and she smiled, knowing the reason. They had waited so long for this that the anticipation was almost killing her, too. Just thinking about being with him that way sent a whole new wave of sensations through her body. He caught her looking at him and returned her gaze, his eyes making promises to her of things to come.

“I am ready to go bathe, Haldir,” she told him after swallowing her last drop of wine. It was not all she was ready for and he knew it.

Standing quickly, he gathered up their bathing items and took her arm. Círa could not help but notice a few glances between the elves that were still eating and she wondered if they all suspected what was going to happen that night. It did not really matter to her because all that she cared about now was being with Haldir. She walked along beside him, noticing that her legs were already stronger than they had been earlier. Whether it was from eating the meat or just from stretching her muscles on the walk over, she did not know. When they reached the shore of the lake, Círa immediately began to strip her clothing off. Haldir turned away at once.

“Haldir, you will not look at me, yet we are to join tonight?” she asked, curious.

“If I look at you, we will be joining before you reach the water,” he assured her. “I have used up each and every drop of my willpower.”

She laughed and entered the lake, noticing with some amusement that he kept his distance while they bathed. When he asked for the soap, she walked over to him but instead of placing the soap in his outstretched hand, she began to lather his body and wash him.

“Círa, this is not a good idea,” he told her, sucking in a breath as she finished with his back and moved further down.

“Why not?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his muscular waist. She moved his hair aside and kissed his back.

“Because I do not wish our first time to be in the water or on the shore, but if you continue this…”

“I would like our first time to be on the shore,” she told him. “I love these woods and this lake and I cannot think of anyplace that I would rather join with you tonight.”

“But, the talan would be much more comfortable for you with your injuries,” he said, trying to ignore her as she moved around to his front and began using the soap on his chest.

“I do not wish to wait that long, Haldir,” she explained. “I do not care about comfort. I only want to feel you inside me and I want it now.”

“Círa, you are pushing me to the end of my endurance and I do not want to rush our joining. I want our first time to be perfect,” he said, eyeing her chest. Against his better judgment, he placed his hands over her perfect round breasts and teased the nipples to hardness with his thumbs.

“No matter what happens, it will be perfect,” she informed him, her voice husky. “I am ready to hear you scream out my name again, and I do not want it to be playacting this time.”

He closed his eyes, willing himself to retain his control as she moved the soapy cloth down his stomach. Círa stopped to slide her fingers over the hard ridges in his chest and abdomen. His body was perfect, she thought as she looked him over. Hesitating momentarily before dropping lower, she ran the cloth over his very hard shaft that was now aimed directly at her. She was relieved to find that while he was very large, he was not so large that he would hurt her. They would not have to be quite so careful about their joining and it would make everything more pleasant, she thought.

Giving up on the idea of returning to the talan the moment he had felt her hand on him, Haldir struggled through the next few minutes before grabbing the soap from her and tossing it to the shore. Pulling her tightly against his chest, he felt her bare skin against his for the first time. It was intoxicating. He splayed his fingers across her back as he fit her more tightly against his body, wanting her right now. Círa wanted him, too and she told him that, again. It was all the encouragement he needed. Lifting her, he carried her to the shore and grabbed a drying cloth to use on her. Very carefully, he wiped away the water, taking special care of her injured spots. When he was done, she took the towel from him and returned the favor. Laying the large cloth on the ground now, she smiled at him; an invitation.

“Círa, are you sure that you do not mind? We can still go back to the talan if you would rather,” he said half-heartedly, doubting that he could make it that far.

“No, Marchwarden,” she told him, standing only inches away. “I want you right here, right now.”

“In that case, I will be only too happy to accommodate you,” he told her, drawing her close and capturing her mouth once more. He deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue between her teeth and began to plunder her mouth expertly. Círa felt his arousal pressing against her and moaned into his mouth. Finding a new, very small reserve of willpower, Haldir slowly sucked Círa’s bottom lip in between his before releasing her to move on to her neck. She was impatient and wanted to skip this part, but he would not allow it. He wanted their first time to be good for her and he would not be rushed, though a certain part of his anatomy was screaming for relief. Taking his time, he kissed her beneath her chin and under her ear with soft, lingering kisses, getting all of the spots that he knew would send chills down her spine. The small cries he got in response told him that he had been successful. He dropped to his knees and kissed her stomach, using his tongue to make little circles around her naval while his hands moved around behind her, cupping her firm bottom. As he knelt before her, Círa stroked Haldir’s head, letting her fingers play through his hair as he ran his tongue over her smooth stomach, wringing more cries from her for his efforts.

“Come here, Círa,” he whispered, eyes smoldering as he looked up at her.

She knelt, too, allowing him to drop his mouth to her breasts now, running his tongue over one nipple then the other as his hands began to caress and explore her body. Círa’s hands were not idle, either, running over Haldir’s muscular shoulders and down his back, wanting to learn and feel every contour of his incredible body.

Taking one nipple into his mouth now, Haldir sucked it lightly as he teased the other one between his thumb and finger, eventually switching sides. Círa had never felt anything like this before and it was sending a jolt through her body and straight down between her legs. When Haldir reached around to support her back and carefully lower her to the ground, she was barely aware that he was doing it. His movements were so smooth that she was not completely sure how she suddenly ended up on her back looking into two brilliant blue eyes.

Haldir was now stretched out next to Círa, propped up on his elbow. He leaned over her to run his tongue along her bottom lip at the same time he dropped his free hand to her closest leg. Starting near her knee, he moved his hand to the inside of her thigh and let it trail up until it came to a brief halt before continuing down the other side, with equal deliberation. As he ran his hand back down, he pushed the leg aside a little, allowing him better access. Very slowly now, he ran the hand back up to the juncture of her legs, holding her eyes with his the whole time as he began to pleasure her with his fingers. She whimpered at the feel, wondering how much more she could take as he continued to work magic on her, stroking her with his finger before finally plunging it deep inside. She couldn’t hold back the cry that escaped her lips, but suddenly the finger was gone. Sliding his hand back down her thigh again, he gently separated her legs even further, enough to accept his body. Kissing her more aggressively now, he rolled over to kneel between her welcoming thighs, one hand continuing to roam up and down the outside of her leg as the other supported his upper body. Her long, smooth limbs felt like satin against his fingertips and he continued to explore her body by running his fingers over her, everywhere. Carefully lowering more weight onto her, he pressed his arousal against her once more, groaning in response to her cry of pleasure. Holding most of his weight off of her with his arms, he dipped his head down to kiss her lips before moving his mouth further down her body. He was a little rougher this time, as he lightly bit and sucked on her neck and breasts. She did not seem to mind, based on the way she clutched him and cried out little encouragements.

Círa was torn between wanting Haldir to take her immediately and enjoying the delicious things he was doing to her body. She decided that she would try to relax and allow him to take his time since it seemed important to him to do so. When Haldir lifted his head again, he shifted slightly and slid himself down lower, working his way down the length of her body with his mouth and tongue as he went. When he reached her naval, he veered to the left and ran his tongue down her hip to her thigh, then began to kiss his way inward, moving her right leg up onto his shoulder when he finished with it. He hesitated only slightly in the middle, tantalizing her with just a breath, before moving on to the inside of her other thigh, again kissing his way back towards the center before placing the leg over his other shoulder. He held her eyes now as he brought his tongue out to touch her in her center, lightly at first. Her whole body jerked at the sensation and he smiled at her as he did it again. He tried different techniques as he sucked and licked at her center, sometimes using long, languid strokes only to switch to short fast ones. He would lightly touch her with his tongue for a few moments then suddenly plunge it deep inside. Soon he found himself having to hold her down as he pushed her closer and closer to the edge. Each time she almost achieved her release he would stop what he was doing and try something different, stretching their lovemaking out as long as possible. It wasn’t too long before he knew that anything he did was going to bring her to completion, so he stopped. Looking up at him, eyes glazed, she didn’t understand why he was now moving away from her, until he once again positioned himself above her, lightly nudging her opening with the tip of his straining member. She cried out and arched up towards him, no longer able to stand the tension.

Haldir moved back as Círa arched forward, not quite ready to let her have what she desired. When she dropped her body back down, gasping, he pressed forward slightly, barely entering her before pulling back out. She almost screamed when he withdrew, panting uncontrollably now.

“Haldir, I need you!” she told him, arching up against him again.

“Patience, my love,” he told her, pressing her back down. He ran his tongue up her ear and sucked the sensitive tip into his mouth. It was enough to make her shake with desire, needing completion. When he pulled away this time, she could see the same need in his eyes and she knew that he was ready.

He held her eyes as he positioned himself at her entrance once more.

“Now, it is time for us to join,” he told her.

“Yes, please!” she begged.

“I love you, Círa,” he told her, holding her gaze. Thrusting deeply into her, he seated himself in a single movement. It was almost enough to send him over the edge and he had to still himself as he continued to look into her eyes, wanting to see her reaction. Contentment adorned her face as she looked up at him, loving the way he filled her.

He had to be careful now, knowing that a couple of good hard strokes would be all it would take for him. Slowly he pulled back just a little and pushed forward into her again, driving himself even deeper. She wrapped her legs around his waist now as he slowly began to pump himself into her in short strokes that were growing less gentle by the moment as he started to lose the self-control that he had so carefully hung onto. Desperate to make her come with him, he brought his mouth close to her ear and began to whisper little encouragements to her in Elvish, softly biting her earlobe now and then as well as continuing to kiss her ear and neck as he began to thrust harder, against his will.

Círa had been very near to reaching her peak several times now and when Haldir started whispering into her ear it brought her near the pinnacle once more. When she looked up to see his eyes closed as he increased his thrusts, fighting but losing the battle to hold back, it sent her over the top. She had never seen him struggling with anything the way he was doing now and the idea that she could bring him to this point was too much for her. She screamed out his name, clutching his body as tightly as was physically possible as the first wave rolled over her. Haldir let out a pent up breath and watched her intently as he finally allowed himself the long hard thrusts that he had so desperately desired.

“Círa!” Haldir yelled, pumping even harder as felt his own orgasm rip through him, carrying him to new heights as he emptied himself into her welcoming body. He only vaguely felt her nails digging into the skin on his back as she clawed and grasped at him, caught up in a rush of emotions and sensations that she had never even dreamed of before. Time seemed to freeze for both of them as he pounded her into the ground now, gasping and crying out her name, over and over. It seemed to last forever before the waves finally began to diminish and slow, even as their bodies grew still and their breathing began to grow steady once more. Gazes locked as their mouths moved together again, saying more than their words ever could.

“Círa, I have never, ever felt anything so wonderful in my whole life,” he told her at last, collapsing onto his side to keep his weight off of her. She kept her legs wrapped around him and he made no move to disengage himself. He could stay like this all night, all week, he thought. He touched her face, running his fingers over her fine, smooth skin.

She broke into a slow smile. How could she possibly tell him what she was feeling right now?

“I love you, Haldir,” she said, simply. It was the only thing she could say and it was what he wanted to hear because she saw relief in his face. Still entwined together, they kissed slowly and gently, exploring each other’s mouths and faces with their tongues and lips. It wasn’t too long before Círa felt Haldir shift and press up into her once more. She raised an eyebrow as she stroked his hair.

“Already?” she asked him.

“As often as you wish, though I know that you still need your rest,” he said feathering her neck with soft kisses. “You will have to let me know when you have had enough.”

“Do not plan on hearing that from me tonight,” she told him. “I want more.” Círa could not remember ever feeling such contentment. She wrapped her arms around him as he smiled at her.

~To Be Continued~