The Shimmering Ones

"I love you Gabrielle," he whispered. "I, I—"

But for him, too, it was too big for words. He clutched onto her convulsing body and gushed right into her, gave himself up, his cum and his heart and his mind and whatever else she could possibly want.

He whined softly. They rocked together, holding tight, and then toppled together onto the planks.

There was a faint green light in the east. The celebrations were winding down. There was chill and dampness in the pre-dawn air. The skin Aerin's back and the skin on Gabrielle's back broke out with bumps; but in their little shared world where their bodies pressed together, it was so warm.

Neither spoke. They just heard themselves breathe. After talking big about their wild fantasies, they both ended up emotionally wrecked by maybe the plainest, simplest sex ever had. It was rather embarrassing, really.

She opened her eyes and found him looking at her. She broke out into giggles.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing."

He pawed at her. "What?"

"Nothing, shut up!"

She rolled on her back. The sky was wide open, cloudless.

"The stars are the same here as in Harmen, though," she said. The one unchanging thing. "Look at the Knight shine."

"The what now?"

"The Knight." She pointed straight up. "The bright constellation just there."

"You mean the Fox?"

"What fox? It's the Knight!"

"It's the Fox! It's climbed to the top of the sky, and is plotting to steal the Moon!"

"Then what are those four stars in a square? That's clearly the Knight's shield!"

Aerin squinted. "That's roughly the Fox's arse, I guess." Gabrielle nestled her chin into the pit of his collarbone.

"You're a fox's arse," she declared.

He took her, his poor torn girl, and breathed slowly in her arms. She'd forever see two different worlds in the night sky. Her escaping her homeland left a void in her soul that his cock couldn't fill. That even his love couldn't fill. But even if he couldn't make the hurt go away, he could make it more bearable.

She gazed at the boards of the pier, old weathered and greyed wood fibres. And she knew that she'd remember this moment, in whatever years would come; she felt her older self looking back at her now, and remember those frayed planks, and she knew for sure that she was going to think: I was happy then. Even with Harmen tearing at my guts, and even despite all the mushrooms, I was happy.

And she would betray Harmen ten thousand times over if it meant that the boy was safe and warm and loved, no matter if it hurt or not.

Brightness was creeping into the world, robbing their nakedness of all cover. The guard on the boat was clearly visible now, the tip of her spear catching a faint glint. Aerin closed his eyes. They'd be going soon. Just a minute. Maybe five.

The bushes by the beach rustled and Lumi emerged, belt clasped carelessly, still barechested, his cloak and shirt in his hand. He reached the lake, fell backwards on the sand, and looked up into the fading stars, a broad and dumb smile never leaving his face.

Someone's footsteps approached. Two fisherwomen appeared above him and peered from under the sky.

"You alright, lad?"

"Mhm. Yeh, thanks."

"The Shimmering Ones got you, did they?"

"Mhm."

The women nodded at each other.

"When the spirits are satisfied, they send a good catch. Seems you fed them well. Good job, lad."

They disappeared, and the footsteps receded towards the boats. Lumi licked his bared teeth.

"Yeah. You're welcome," he muttered.

And when the bright pink sun appeared on the horizon, the planks of the pier rumbled under the feet of the famous Captain Almarr and his two retainers. He yawned and slapped his famous pot belly and jumped into his splitter.

"Nice to sleep on land sometimes," he roared. "Hallo, Svala! Calm night?"

The guard put down her spear, and rubbed her temples for a long while before replying.

"Sometimes I actually hate this job."