The Forbidden Life
Title: The Forbidden Life
Chapter: 4
Rating: NC17
Pairing: Richard/Kahlan
Characters: Kahlan, Richard and Zedd, Cara, Others (Original)
Timeline: After S2
Summary: After marrying, Richard and Kahlan try to begin their lives together, something happens to jeperdize it all. Decisions will be made and allies will be lost. Nothing is as it seems.
Word Count: 2,561
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING
Author's Note: So this I started while I was in the hospital. So it has moments of crazy, happy and agnst, but I hope that you all still enjoy! It's pratcially a novel, so I hope you all stick around to see what happens! <3
<3 Comments are awesome peeps! <3
The poison slowed as she remained awake. The new-found determination to live spilling out of her as Richard talked to her. They hadn't stopped talking since she had woken, the fear of her returning to her previous state making it more difficult for him to relax. After a few hours, he asked her if she heard anything that he said while she was unconscious. When she nodded, she brought her eyes to his and shifted her body, trying to move to her side without causing more pain.
"Did you mean it?" He stared at her, confused as to what it was she was referring to. "Can we leave?"
"If you still want to. Kahlan, I will never try to make you do anything that you don't want to. If I had listened to you, this never would have happened."
Shaking her head, she reached up to his face and cupped his cheek. "Yes it would have. It would have just happened differently."
He pulled back, letting her hand drop back to the bed. "Maybe, but I wouldn't have let them to get so close to you."
She could see his eyes flaring in anger. "It's not Cara's fault. She was right there beside me. If she hadn't- I wouldn't be here."
"She was supposed to protect you."
"And she did. Richard, she was attacking them the moment they attacked me. She pushed past the others and went for the ones closest to me. She saved my life."
"If I had gone with you- If I hadn't made you want to go..."
"You are not to blame either. None of us are. Whoever did this to me, they are responsible and I suspect that you already know who they are." She gave him a warm smile, masking the pain she felt. "Cara found the ones who escaped didn't she?"
"Yes," he said almost silently, returning to his position close to her side.
Nodding, she closed her eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath. "What have they told you?"
"They did not know that you carried a child. They-" It was hard for him to talk about it. He didn't want her to know what they had told them. "They were trying to kill you before you had the chance." He paused, wondering if he should continue, but he had to. She deserved to know the truth. "If they had known, they would have sent more men and made sure that you didn't survive."
"Where are they now?"
"Cara holds one in the palace dungeons."
He was hiding something from her and she knew him well enough to know what it was. "How many did you kill?" She knew that he would have gone down to the dungeons and questioned the men for himself. He was upset with Cara and wanted to be sure that he had the right answers. Kahlan also knew that he had a harder time controlling his anger when it came to her. When her life was in danger, he would not hesitate to kill someone. "It's all right Richard."
Bringing his eyes to hers, he waited a moment, trying to read her and understand how she could be so calm about what he had told her. He never enjoyed taking a life and hated it even more when it was a result of his anger, but the way she looked at him- She knew the conflict within him. "Four." His eyes closed as she ran her fingers through his hair, bringing his head to lay against her chest as she held him. Killing always took something from him, making him feel as though he had betrayed them all. Even in war, he was never the first to attack, never wanting the option of death to be the first and only. Except when it involved her. If she was there, there was nothing more important or in his mind. He had to keep her safe, at any cost. "They tried to kill you."
"I know," she whispered, the pain of the wound rising once again. "I know."
"I couldn't stop thinking about what they did to you." In an instant Richard sat up and pulled back the blankets, almost as though he sensed her pain. "It's back. How does it feel now?"
She gave him a weak smile and shifted her head against the pillow as he pulled back the blanket. "It hurts, but not as before."
The wound was smaller now, almost half of the size it had been when she had awoken many hours earlier. The color was a dark tan, almost the color of the soles of his boots. Slowly, she was getting better. "Are you ready?"
"I'll never be ready for this."
He cut quickly, trying to make it quick and as painless as possible. She was able to arch her back higher off of the bed, the wound no longer keeping her from the movement. She had, after a few times, learned to keep breathing through the pain, keeping her from screaming out in pain each time, though the pain of the skin being removed never got easier to experience. Once again putting pressure on the wound, he looked at her with a frown. Her eyes were closed, her bottom lip pulled into her mouth as her teeth bit down upon it.
"It looks better," he told her as he recovered her with the blanket. "There wasn't as much to remove this time."
Nodding, she opened her eyes and released her lip. "Thank you."
"You should rest."
Grabbing his arm, she pulled him close to her. "I don't think I'll be able to rest for a while."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm afraid." He sighed in understanding, lying down beside her as she turned her head away. "I'm afraid that I won't..."
"That you won't wake up? Kahlan, I will be right here. I will wake you every hour if you want me to."
Grabbing hold of his shirt she shook her head. "No."
"You need sleep. Your body needs to rest."
He looked up as she pulled at his shirt. "I don't want to."
Giving her a small smile, Richard inched closer to her and helped shift her body toward him. It was the only way she could sleep sometimes. Her chest would be pressed against his with her the top of her head pressed to the bottom of his chin. She held him close and tight, needing him to feel safe enough to sleep. Many nights before, he could feel her heart pounding and she didn't need to tell him that she was afraid. Since she had become pregnant, she had been afraid. Leaving their room was a battle that she had been fighting within her since the beginning, but it never stopped her.
He had often thought that her fear was irrational, but now he hated himself for not believing her. As she attempted to pull herself closer to him, he suddenly pulled back. "I'm sorry that I didn't protect you."
"You've always protected me. This was no different."
"You nearly died."
"But I didn't. Not yet."
He kissed her, hard. Forgetting for a moment that she was injured as he pulled her against him. She held his face to hers, ignoring her need for air as she pushed into him until he rolled onto his back. His hands moved quickly over her back, taking in the feel of her soft skin. A soft groan of pain escaped her as she attempted to get closer to him, making Richard remember what had happened to her. Kahlan kept him from pulling away, suddenly needing him more than ever.
"Wait," she whispered as she pulled at his shirt. "There." She rolled over him so that she could lay on her other side and in his arms without the pain. Her skin now connected with his. She was asleep almost instantly.
******
The skin was nearly healed, only needing to be removed once a day and now Kahlan was able to sit up without screaming in pain. It had taken longer than either of them thought. The past month seemed to drag on as she struggled to get better. Each day Richard would help her move, trying to make sure that she didn't lose the ability as she laid nearly completely still. As time passed, she had gotten stronger and began attempting to move from the bed.
Walking into the room, he smiled at the site. She was sitting in their bed with her back against the headboard, running her hands over the small bump on her stomach. There was a small smile on her face as she leaned her head back and sighed.
"She's moving around a lot this afternoon."
Walking to the dresser across from the bed, he grabbed the tray that held her cups and a large pitcher of water. "I think she's eager to come out and meet you." Turning around to her he tilted his head. "How did this get over here?"
She looked at him, her smile widened with his. "I put it over there this morning. I thought that moving a little more would be good for us."
He sat the tray down and stepped closer to the bed. "Any better today?"
"Yes. It almost feels as though it never happened."
Beaming, he crawled onto the bed and made his way to her. Pulling back the blankets, he lifted her nightgown and ran his fingers over the scared skin. "It's nearly healed. Have you been taking the elixir Zedd made for the skin?"
"Yes." Running her fingers through his hair, she withheld a laugh. "You've given it to me every morning before you go out with the army." Kissing her stomach for a moment, he rolled onto his back and laughed. "How are they looking now?"
"Better. Cara's been pushing them as hard as she can without breaking them. I wouldn't hesitate to fight beside them in battle."
"The people will always surprise you."
Looking over to her, he met her eyes and rolled onto his side to face her. "I've made arrangements for us to leave in two days. You're never going to have to worry again."
"I'm a Confessor, Richard. We have to worry before we are born. It never stops."
"I thought that if we left, if we hid somewhere-"
"They would find us. They always find us. We are safest here in the palace. It's the only place they can't get to me, but I refuse to stay in hiding. You were right. You always are."
Shaking his head, he sat up and grabbed her hands as he moved in closer. "How could I have been right? Kahlan do you remember what they did to you?"
"Of course I do," she answered softly, looking down to her stomach. "It's not something I could forget. Ever. I just don't- I don't want to live like this anymore. She shouldn't have to either."
"I'm not going to let her grow up like this. Kahlan they almost killed you. They wanted you to die, they wanted to kill our child and you want to stay here and let her know these people?! They're always going to be after her, after both of you!"
"And if we leave, do you really think they'll give up? Richard we will be hunted until our deaths, there is no stopping it."
"If we go, I can protect you."
"If we stay you and our armies can protect us. We stand a better chance in surviving if we stay here."
"I can't lose you. Either of you."
"You won't. You said that the army has gotten better. We're safe here."
He swallowed the lump in his throat. The fear that had been growing within him since Cara brought her bleeding body into their room had now become a constant soar inside of him. It was always there, waiting for the right moment to take over him. "You may never be safe."
"I'm safe right now, with you."
Richard shook his head and sighed. "I think that it was already made clear that I can't protect you."
"You've protected me since the moment we met. I've still gotten hurt, but I'm still alive. I'm alive and it's because of you."
"You almost died."
She smiled, surprising them both. "I'm sure it won't be the last time. Richard, we will all die sometime."
"I can't lose you."
Pulling his face to hers, she kissed him for a moment and then pulled back. "Maybe you'll die first." She laughed in spite of herself, unable to hold it in. "Or maybe we'll both live forever."
"I want you to live forever."
Grinning, Kahlan inched closer and pushed him onto his back and rolled over him, lifting his shirt as her hands moved over his chest. "I guess you're going to have to find a way to keep us both alive."
His eyes closed as she kissed his chest, pushing his shirt up to his chin. She was almost back to herself, her need for him growing back to the way it had been before she was wounded. When they were together, she didn't feel any pain and during that time, she was more than sure that he needed her just as much as she needed him. Pulling the shirt from his body, she tossed it away from them and then slid her tongue over his skin. It drove him mad, the feel of her tongue against his skin; the way she devoured him without fear.
Rolling them over, he lifted her nightgown and ran his hands over her thighs as he settled between her legs. She pushed against him, moaning softly for the pressure as she pulled at his hair. He kissed over her jaw and down her neck, pausing to slide his tongue along her collarbone. Growing more desperate, she pushed him back enough for her to grab hold of her gown and pull it over her head. His lips instantly covered her breasts, raking his teeth over her as she gasped for air and pulled him closer. Hooking her legs around him, she tried to get him closer, her body screaming for his.
Reaching between them, Kahlan quickly untied his pants. He shifted his body, making it easier for her to push them from his waist as she tried to keep from pulling his lips from her chest. Before, he had made sure to be gentle and keep himself from getting carried away, but as time passed and she proved herself more than able to handle anything, he let go. He could never get enough of her, the softness of her skin, begging for his touch as she held him close. The light gasps that filled the air around them, beckoned for more, needing everything their lover was able to give. His eyes opened as he kissed down her stomach, wanting to make sure that she was all right and that the wound had not grown worse
He almost smiled. The wound barely noticeable as he traced his tongue over it. It had become a small simple way for him to tell her how sorry he was that she had gotten hurt as well as a promise that he would never allow it to happen again. One of the few things he had come up with to say without words. His name left her lips in a whimper, her eyes closed as she pulled at his hair, trying to bring his mouth where she wanted it. He fought the laugh that tickled his throat as she began rocking herself against him, desperate for release. A light whisper to the spirits left him as she reached between them and took hold of him. She was already on the edge and they had only just begun.
Her body welcomed him warmly, never wanting to let him go. Their lips crashed passionately as their hands moved frantically over the other's body. Blood began to leak past her nails as she pulled him closer. Sensing her need, Richard lifted her back from the bed and leaned back, holding her against him as he changed their position. She instantly adjusted herself above him, grateful that he thought of a way to feel closer to her. It became hard for him to focus as she moved over him, the pace becoming quicker as she continued to move. The angle made her cry out with every thrust and tighten her hold on him so that she wouldn't fall over.
Their cries of release were lost within the other as their lips found each other and danced as they fell back onto the bed. Kahlan wrapped her legs around him, preventing him from rolling off of her before she was ready to lose their connection. He panted against her chest, trying to find his breath as she ran her fingers tenderly through his hair. He clung to her to the way he always had, as though he was afraid that she would disappear from his arms. He was always afraid that he would lose her.
"Will you reconsider leaving here?"
A smile came to her lips as she shook her head. "I don't want to run away and hide."
Lifting his head from her chest, he attempted to move from her, but she stopped him. "I can't change your mind can I?"
Shifting her body beneath him, she shook her head slowly. "I don't think so, but you have a way of making people see things differently. I will not deny you the chance."
"Then let's go. We can leave here and I can show you."
"Do you really wish to leave? Richard, if we leave, there would be no coming back."
He nodded, lowering his lips to her chest for a moment before he returned his eyed to hers. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I know that it is a difficult decision for you to make, one that you shouldn't have to-"
"You're wrong. It's not difficult to choose. If you truly want to leave, I will go with you. There is no choice."
"This is your home."
She gave him her special smile and cupped his cheeks in her hands. "It is where I grew up. My home is with you."
He stared at her, his mind spinning in thought of everything that she had said. The fear he had seen in her eyes when she first learned that she carried a child was gone. He hadn't seen it since she had first awaken after the attack. For a reason he couldn't understand, she was no longer so afraid that she thought it would be safer to leave. He wished he could understand. "What if we simply took a vacation? We could return after Sarah is born."
"All right."
Her answer surprised him, his eyes widened for a moment as he hoped that he had heard her correctly. "What?"
"I know you. You will never stop thinking about it and if we don't go and something happens..."
"I won't let anything happen to you."
She smiled and rolled them both onto their side. "I know, but it will happen eventually."
Grinning, he pulled her closer and nuzzled his nose into her neck. "Not if I am here. I won't let anything happen to you. Ever."
Holding him to her, Kahlan shifted her body and pulled him closer. "I know."
"We'll leave in two days."
"All right."
Chapter: 4
Rating: NC17
Pairing: Richard/Kahlan
Characters: Kahlan, Richard and Zedd, Cara, Others (Original)
Timeline: After S2
Summary: After marrying, Richard and Kahlan try to begin their lives together, something happens to jeperdize it all. Decisions will be made and allies will be lost. Nothing is as it seems.
Word Count: 2,561
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING
Author's Note: So this I started while I was in the hospital. So it has moments of crazy, happy and agnst, but I hope that you all still enjoy! It's pratcially a novel, so I hope you all stick around to see what happens! <3
<3 Comments are awesome peeps! <3
The poison slowed as she remained awake. The new-found determination to live spilling out of her as Richard talked to her. They hadn't stopped talking since she had woken, the fear of her returning to her previous state making it more difficult for him to relax. After a few hours, he asked her if she heard anything that he said while she was unconscious. When she nodded, she brought her eyes to his and shifted her body, trying to move to her side without causing more pain.
"Did you mean it?" He stared at her, confused as to what it was she was referring to. "Can we leave?"
"If you still want to. Kahlan, I will never try to make you do anything that you don't want to. If I had listened to you, this never would have happened."
Shaking her head, she reached up to his face and cupped his cheek. "Yes it would have. It would have just happened differently."
He pulled back, letting her hand drop back to the bed. "Maybe, but I wouldn't have let them to get so close to you."
She could see his eyes flaring in anger. "It's not Cara's fault. She was right there beside me. If she hadn't- I wouldn't be here."
"She was supposed to protect you."
"And she did. Richard, she was attacking them the moment they attacked me. She pushed past the others and went for the ones closest to me. She saved my life."
"If I had gone with you- If I hadn't made you want to go..."
"You are not to blame either. None of us are. Whoever did this to me, they are responsible and I suspect that you already know who they are." She gave him a warm smile, masking the pain she felt. "Cara found the ones who escaped didn't she?"
"Yes," he said almost silently, returning to his position close to her side.
Nodding, she closed her eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath. "What have they told you?"
"They did not know that you carried a child. They-" It was hard for him to talk about it. He didn't want her to know what they had told them. "They were trying to kill you before you had the chance." He paused, wondering if he should continue, but he had to. She deserved to know the truth. "If they had known, they would have sent more men and made sure that you didn't survive."
"Where are they now?"
"Cara holds one in the palace dungeons."
He was hiding something from her and she knew him well enough to know what it was. "How many did you kill?" She knew that he would have gone down to the dungeons and questioned the men for himself. He was upset with Cara and wanted to be sure that he had the right answers. Kahlan also knew that he had a harder time controlling his anger when it came to her. When her life was in danger, he would not hesitate to kill someone. "It's all right Richard."
Bringing his eyes to hers, he waited a moment, trying to read her and understand how she could be so calm about what he had told her. He never enjoyed taking a life and hated it even more when it was a result of his anger, but the way she looked at him- She knew the conflict within him. "Four." His eyes closed as she ran her fingers through his hair, bringing his head to lay against her chest as she held him. Killing always took something from him, making him feel as though he had betrayed them all. Even in war, he was never the first to attack, never wanting the option of death to be the first and only. Except when it involved her. If she was there, there was nothing more important or in his mind. He had to keep her safe, at any cost. "They tried to kill you."
"I know," she whispered, the pain of the wound rising once again. "I know."
"I couldn't stop thinking about what they did to you." In an instant Richard sat up and pulled back the blankets, almost as though he sensed her pain. "It's back. How does it feel now?"
She gave him a weak smile and shifted her head against the pillow as he pulled back the blanket. "It hurts, but not as before."
The wound was smaller now, almost half of the size it had been when she had awoken many hours earlier. The color was a dark tan, almost the color of the soles of his boots. Slowly, she was getting better. "Are you ready?"
"I'll never be ready for this."
He cut quickly, trying to make it quick and as painless as possible. She was able to arch her back higher off of the bed, the wound no longer keeping her from the movement. She had, after a few times, learned to keep breathing through the pain, keeping her from screaming out in pain each time, though the pain of the skin being removed never got easier to experience. Once again putting pressure on the wound, he looked at her with a frown. Her eyes were closed, her bottom lip pulled into her mouth as her teeth bit down upon it.
"It looks better," he told her as he recovered her with the blanket. "There wasn't as much to remove this time."
Nodding, she opened her eyes and released her lip. "Thank you."
"You should rest."
Grabbing his arm, she pulled him close to her. "I don't think I'll be able to rest for a while."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm afraid." He sighed in understanding, lying down beside her as she turned her head away. "I'm afraid that I won't..."
"That you won't wake up? Kahlan, I will be right here. I will wake you every hour if you want me to."
Grabbing hold of his shirt she shook her head. "No."
"You need sleep. Your body needs to rest."
He looked up as she pulled at his shirt. "I don't want to."
Giving her a small smile, Richard inched closer to her and helped shift her body toward him. It was the only way she could sleep sometimes. Her chest would be pressed against his with her the top of her head pressed to the bottom of his chin. She held him close and tight, needing him to feel safe enough to sleep. Many nights before, he could feel her heart pounding and she didn't need to tell him that she was afraid. Since she had become pregnant, she had been afraid. Leaving their room was a battle that she had been fighting within her since the beginning, but it never stopped her.
He had often thought that her fear was irrational, but now he hated himself for not believing her. As she attempted to pull herself closer to him, he suddenly pulled back. "I'm sorry that I didn't protect you."
"You've always protected me. This was no different."
"You nearly died."
"But I didn't. Not yet."
He kissed her, hard. Forgetting for a moment that she was injured as he pulled her against him. She held his face to hers, ignoring her need for air as she pushed into him until he rolled onto his back. His hands moved quickly over her back, taking in the feel of her soft skin. A soft groan of pain escaped her as she attempted to get closer to him, making Richard remember what had happened to her. Kahlan kept him from pulling away, suddenly needing him more than ever.
"Wait," she whispered as she pulled at his shirt. "There." She rolled over him so that she could lay on her other side and in his arms without the pain. Her skin now connected with his. She was asleep almost instantly.
******
The skin was nearly healed, only needing to be removed once a day and now Kahlan was able to sit up without screaming in pain. It had taken longer than either of them thought. The past month seemed to drag on as she struggled to get better. Each day Richard would help her move, trying to make sure that she didn't lose the ability as she laid nearly completely still. As time passed, she had gotten stronger and began attempting to move from the bed.
Walking into the room, he smiled at the site. She was sitting in their bed with her back against the headboard, running her hands over the small bump on her stomach. There was a small smile on her face as she leaned her head back and sighed.
"She's moving around a lot this afternoon."
Walking to the dresser across from the bed, he grabbed the tray that held her cups and a large pitcher of water. "I think she's eager to come out and meet you." Turning around to her he tilted his head. "How did this get over here?"
She looked at him, her smile widened with his. "I put it over there this morning. I thought that moving a little more would be good for us."
He sat the tray down and stepped closer to the bed. "Any better today?"
"Yes. It almost feels as though it never happened."
Beaming, he crawled onto the bed and made his way to her. Pulling back the blankets, he lifted her nightgown and ran his fingers over the scared skin. "It's nearly healed. Have you been taking the elixir Zedd made for the skin?"
"Yes." Running her fingers through his hair, she withheld a laugh. "You've given it to me every morning before you go out with the army." Kissing her stomach for a moment, he rolled onto his back and laughed. "How are they looking now?"
"Better. Cara's been pushing them as hard as she can without breaking them. I wouldn't hesitate to fight beside them in battle."
"The people will always surprise you."
Looking over to her, he met her eyes and rolled onto his side to face her. "I've made arrangements for us to leave in two days. You're never going to have to worry again."
"I'm a Confessor, Richard. We have to worry before we are born. It never stops."
"I thought that if we left, if we hid somewhere-"
"They would find us. They always find us. We are safest here in the palace. It's the only place they can't get to me, but I refuse to stay in hiding. You were right. You always are."
Shaking his head, he sat up and grabbed her hands as he moved in closer. "How could I have been right? Kahlan do you remember what they did to you?"
"Of course I do," she answered softly, looking down to her stomach. "It's not something I could forget. Ever. I just don't- I don't want to live like this anymore. She shouldn't have to either."
"I'm not going to let her grow up like this. Kahlan they almost killed you. They wanted you to die, they wanted to kill our child and you want to stay here and let her know these people?! They're always going to be after her, after both of you!"
"And if we leave, do you really think they'll give up? Richard we will be hunted until our deaths, there is no stopping it."
"If we go, I can protect you."
"If we stay you and our armies can protect us. We stand a better chance in surviving if we stay here."
"I can't lose you. Either of you."
"You won't. You said that the army has gotten better. We're safe here."
He swallowed the lump in his throat. The fear that had been growing within him since Cara brought her bleeding body into their room had now become a constant soar inside of him. It was always there, waiting for the right moment to take over him. "You may never be safe."
"I'm safe right now, with you."
Richard shook his head and sighed. "I think that it was already made clear that I can't protect you."
"You've protected me since the moment we met. I've still gotten hurt, but I'm still alive. I'm alive and it's because of you."
"You almost died."
She smiled, surprising them both. "I'm sure it won't be the last time. Richard, we will all die sometime."
"I can't lose you."
Pulling his face to hers, she kissed him for a moment and then pulled back. "Maybe you'll die first." She laughed in spite of herself, unable to hold it in. "Or maybe we'll both live forever."
"I want you to live forever."
Grinning, Kahlan inched closer and pushed him onto his back and rolled over him, lifting his shirt as her hands moved over his chest. "I guess you're going to have to find a way to keep us both alive."
His eyes closed as she kissed his chest, pushing his shirt up to his chin. She was almost back to herself, her need for him growing back to the way it had been before she was wounded. When they were together, she didn't feel any pain and during that time, she was more than sure that he needed her just as much as she needed him. Pulling the shirt from his body, she tossed it away from them and then slid her tongue over his skin. It drove him mad, the feel of her tongue against his skin; the way she devoured him without fear.
Rolling them over, he lifted her nightgown and ran his hands over her thighs as he settled between her legs. She pushed against him, moaning softly for the pressure as she pulled at his hair. He kissed over her jaw and down her neck, pausing to slide his tongue along her collarbone. Growing more desperate, she pushed him back enough for her to grab hold of her gown and pull it over her head. His lips instantly covered her breasts, raking his teeth over her as she gasped for air and pulled him closer. Hooking her legs around him, she tried to get him closer, her body screaming for his.
Reaching between them, Kahlan quickly untied his pants. He shifted his body, making it easier for her to push them from his waist as she tried to keep from pulling his lips from her chest. Before, he had made sure to be gentle and keep himself from getting carried away, but as time passed and she proved herself more than able to handle anything, he let go. He could never get enough of her, the softness of her skin, begging for his touch as she held him close. The light gasps that filled the air around them, beckoned for more, needing everything their lover was able to give. His eyes opened as he kissed down her stomach, wanting to make sure that she was all right and that the wound had not grown worse
He almost smiled. The wound barely noticeable as he traced his tongue over it. It had become a small simple way for him to tell her how sorry he was that she had gotten hurt as well as a promise that he would never allow it to happen again. One of the few things he had come up with to say without words. His name left her lips in a whimper, her eyes closed as she pulled at his hair, trying to bring his mouth where she wanted it. He fought the laugh that tickled his throat as she began rocking herself against him, desperate for release. A light whisper to the spirits left him as she reached between them and took hold of him. She was already on the edge and they had only just begun.
Her body welcomed him warmly, never wanting to let him go. Their lips crashed passionately as their hands moved frantically over the other's body. Blood began to leak past her nails as she pulled him closer. Sensing her need, Richard lifted her back from the bed and leaned back, holding her against him as he changed their position. She instantly adjusted herself above him, grateful that he thought of a way to feel closer to her. It became hard for him to focus as she moved over him, the pace becoming quicker as she continued to move. The angle made her cry out with every thrust and tighten her hold on him so that she wouldn't fall over.
Their cries of release were lost within the other as their lips found each other and danced as they fell back onto the bed. Kahlan wrapped her legs around him, preventing him from rolling off of her before she was ready to lose their connection. He panted against her chest, trying to find his breath as she ran her fingers tenderly through his hair. He clung to her to the way he always had, as though he was afraid that she would disappear from his arms. He was always afraid that he would lose her.
"Will you reconsider leaving here?"
A smile came to her lips as she shook her head. "I don't want to run away and hide."
Lifting his head from her chest, he attempted to move from her, but she stopped him. "I can't change your mind can I?"
Shifting her body beneath him, she shook her head slowly. "I don't think so, but you have a way of making people see things differently. I will not deny you the chance."
"Then let's go. We can leave here and I can show you."
"Do you really wish to leave? Richard, if we leave, there would be no coming back."
He nodded, lowering his lips to her chest for a moment before he returned his eyed to hers. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I know that it is a difficult decision for you to make, one that you shouldn't have to-"
"You're wrong. It's not difficult to choose. If you truly want to leave, I will go with you. There is no choice."
"This is your home."
She gave him her special smile and cupped his cheeks in her hands. "It is where I grew up. My home is with you."
He stared at her, his mind spinning in thought of everything that she had said. The fear he had seen in her eyes when she first learned that she carried a child was gone. He hadn't seen it since she had first awaken after the attack. For a reason he couldn't understand, she was no longer so afraid that she thought it would be safer to leave. He wished he could understand. "What if we simply took a vacation? We could return after Sarah is born."
"All right."
Her answer surprised him, his eyes widened for a moment as he hoped that he had heard her correctly. "What?"
"I know you. You will never stop thinking about it and if we don't go and something happens..."
"I won't let anything happen to you."
She smiled and rolled them both onto their side. "I know, but it will happen eventually."
Grinning, he pulled her closer and nuzzled his nose into her neck. "Not if I am here. I won't let anything happen to you. Ever."
Holding him to her, Kahlan shifted her body and pulled him closer. "I know."
"We'll leave in two days."
"All right."