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Gale sat at his desk; he held his forehead in his hand as he stared absentmindedly at the scrolls on his desk. He had wanted to get a head start on preparing class lessons but the day had not been as fruitful as he had hoped. He and his bride-to-be, Mara, had an argument that morning after they realized they had been snowed in. Mara had been rather determined to make it out to the market; she wanted to find another Midwinter gift for each member of the Dekarios clan. Gale told her it wasn’t necessary, they had each other's company. They didn’t need things to make their Midwinter celebration special.
~~
“I know material things aren’t what makes the holiday special, I just want to do something nice for everyone. I also thought we could take the time to check on Morena.” Mara said as she put on a sweater that Gale’s mother had gifted her.
“Please, my love, do not use my mother as leverage against me.” Gale responded with a chuckle.
However, when he turned around, he was met with a scowl from Mara, who promptly walked away without another word to the wizard. He had soon heard her rummage through the kitchen as she busied herself. He was confused as to why his words had upset her, but continued to get ready for the day. After he was dressed, he made his way to the kitchen. Mara stood in front of the sink as she washed dishes. Gale stood next to her as he tried to grab a dish from her, but she easily avoided his hands and put the dish in the drying rack. He furrowed his brow but assumed that she didn’t see him. He then leaned close and tried to give her a kiss on the cheek, just as he so often did, but Mara avoided his action again as she ducked her head away from him.
He scoffed at her, “What have I done to so greatly offend you?”
“Dunno, maybe you’ll think it’s ‘leverage against you’ or not.” Mara chided at him as she rolled her eyes.
~~
Gale cringed as he thought of the rest of their argument. He always prided himself on being attentive to Mara’s.. everything. When her mood was off, if she didn’t feel well, how she acted when she was at her highest or lowest. He had cursed himself all day for not realizing the effect his words had had on his love. After Tara had scolded him for upsetting ‘Mrs. Dekarios’, Gale had decided to give her space for the day, to let her approach him in her own time. He had begun to think that this was also a bad idea though; Mara hadn’t approached him once the entire day and left them both in only Tara’s brief company throughout the day.
He had finally been pulled out of his stupor when he heard thudding against the ground come from somewhere in the tower. He looked out his study windows to see that it had begun to snow again; and that it was now dark, the snow illuminated by the glow of the full moon. Gale sighed as he lifted himself away from his desk and started the trek down the stairs. He was met with Mara in the living room as she added more logs to the wood rack next to the fireplace before she poked and prodded at the fire to revive it. He watched as she settled herself on the couch and draped a blanket over herself in an attempt to warm up as she was only in an oversized sleep shirt. That was when Gale realized that Mara had one of her pillows from their shared bed on the couch with her. He came in the room and stood on the side of the couch Mara leant against. He hesitated before he placed a hand on her shoulder, relieved that she didn’t recoil from his touch.
“Dearest, I know we have been at.. odds of sorts today, but I thought we could get some sleep together. It is Midwinter Eve, afterall.” Gale sighed.
He watched as Mara shook her head and carded her fingers through her hair. She thought about her words carefully before she turned slightly and grabbed his hand in hers.
“Sweetheart, I know you didn’t mean to be hurtful this morning. And I will admit, I should have told you that sooner, but every time I went into your study to tell you, all I could think of was our argument and I got angry all over again.” She squeezed his hand a little tighter as she finally made eye contact with him, “I love you very much Gale but I still need a little more time, you really hurt my feelings with the whole ‘leverage’ thing.” she lamented.
Gale felt his heart break at her words. This was something he never wanted to make Mara feel, yet here he was; he had done exactly that. He wanted to beg for forgiveness, grovel at her feet, do anything and everything she asked to win her favor back. However, he conceded as he brought his hand to her cheek and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head.
“As you wish, my angel. Please remember that our door is open if you wish to come to bed later.” He offered.
Mara pressed a kiss to his palm and thanked him, a somber smile formed on her lips.
The two laid in their isolation, hopeful that sleep would take them so they didn’t have to sit with their emotions. Sleep never came for either of them, though. Both tossed, turned, and wished the other were with them. Mara sat up on the couch to watch the fire as she tried to decide if she should go up to her and Gale’s bedroom or not.
“He loves you, Mrs. Dekarios.” Tara’s words flitted into Mara’s ear from beside her. Mara jumped and turned her head to see the tressym perched on the back of the couch next to her.
She sighed, “I know, Tara, and I don’t doubt it. I just didn’t think he would ever talk to me like that. It reminded me of everyone who’s ever talked down to me, like I was some bumbling idiot who was only good at killing things in the ‘name’ of Illmater.” There was a tremble in Mara’s voice.
Tara nuzzled her face against the woman with a purr, “Now you know that’s not true, dear. And he is absolutely beside himself over your admission.” Mara grimaced when she heard Tara’s words. “I believe you both know it would be more beneficial for the two of you to be together rather than apart right now. Off you go, back to bed. In your actual bed.” She said as she headbutted Mara’s shoulder. Mara gave the tressym a pet before she got up. She caught a glimpse of Tara as she kneaded Mara’s pillow and laid down on top of her blanket.
Mara slowly made her up the stairs as worry ran through her body. She was worried that Gale would be too upset with her to accept her apology. That the way she acted throughout the day would cause Gale to rethink their relationship. She was pulled out of her thoughts once she approached their door; it was opened slightly and she noticed a faint purple glow come from inside. She looked through the opening, only to see a bittersweet moment. She saw Gale sitting on her side of the bed, in just his sleep pants, with his hand outstretched in front of him, holding a projection of Mara’s visage. He stared at it longingly as if Mara weren’t in the same tower as him. She made her way into the room slowly in an attempt not to disturb him. Gale hadn’t noticed her as he continued to look at the projection he had conjured.
As she moved closer to the bed, Mara cleared her throat and said his name quietly. Gale met Mara’s avoidant gaze with a reserved look, almost as if he thought his mind had played a trick on him. He stood up and walked over to her and grabbed Mara’s hand tentatively. Mara laced her fingers between his and she noticed as Gale let out a sigh of relief before he pulled her into a tight embrace. He buried his face in her neck and took in a long, deep breath as he focused on her smell; traces of oak and parchment, cedar, her lingering crisp and delicate floral perfume that she wore every day, all mixed together with her own natural pheromones. His body relaxed as he finally released his breath. Mara held on to him as if he were going to fall into the earth at any moment.
“I’m so sorry, Gale.” bewailed Mara, her lips had started to quiver.
“Hush, now, my love. It is I who must apologize to you.” He had lifted his head, his gaze met her teary one. “I used a terrible joke at an inappropriate time and then left you alone all day because of my own anxieties and for that I am truly sorry. None of that is your fault and I only hope that you’ll let me make this up to you in any way.” He continued as he tucked a strand of hair behind her elongated ear. He felt the shiver that ran through her body when his dextrous fingers grazed the shell of her ear.
Mara weakly smiled at him, “You don’t have to do anything to make it up to me. I should be the one making it up to you.” She reluctantly untangled herself from Gale’s arms and grabbed his hand to lead him to the bed.
Gale didn’t resist as he followed her lead. “There is nothing that would make me happier than laying in bed with you in my arms.”
They both climbed into their bed and laid together, Mara across Gale’s chest as he held her tight. They laid there like that for a while, unable to find sleep. He rubbed his hand down Mara’s back as he changed between firm, massage-like swipes and feather light touches over any exposed skin he could find. Gale relished in the breathy moans Mara let out when he caressed her, desperate for more after she was away from him the entire day. He wearily grabbed the hem of her shirt and moved it up her body. Mara understood what he was doing and sat up to easily take off her shirt.
Gale placed a hand on her waist, “Stay like that for a moment, please. I want to admire you.” He ran his thumb across her skin slowly as his eyes roved over her figure. Mara held his forearm as she felt his hand roam up her side, as he barely grazed the side of her breast. She sucked in a shallow breath, eager for more of his touch. She noticed as Gale smirked at her reaction and purposefully kept his hand on the larger expanses of her skin. Mara knew that Gale loved to tease her mercilessly, and on any other day she would have loved it too. Not this night, though, no. She wanted him too much to let that happen.
Mara waited for Gale to bring his hand away from her body again before she grabbed his hand. She slotted her fingers between his and kissed his knuckles. The mischievous look on Gale’s face softened as he watched Mara do this. All he thought about was how lucky he was to have such a loving and caring woman by his side. Mara watched as Gale’s lusty gaze changed to dreamy one as he watched her. She leant down and placed a passionate kiss against his lips and happily swallowed his moans. As she continued to kiss him, his hand still in hers, she placed her free hand on his chest. She lightly pushed him down as she swung her leg over his body and settled herself on top of him, her lips still connected to his. The moment he felt her weight against him, on top of him, he let out a low moan that she felt in his chest.
Mara moaned in response to Gale’s; she reveled in the effect she had over him. She finally pulled her lips away from his as she kissed along his jaw and down his neck. She continued her descent down his body slowly as she took the time to nip and suck on his skin as often as she could. Once she had freed her hand from Gale’s, she used that hand to palm Gale’s cock through his pants. He groaned at the friction and she felt as Gale’s hands left her sides and he tried to pick up his hips in an attempt to get his pants off. Mara took herself off of Gale and settled herself between his thighs. She watched as he took his pants off and kicked them off into their bedroom somewhere, watched as the muscles in his stomach tightened just by looking at her between his legs. She ran her hands along his thighs as slowly as she could before she took his cock in her hand and admired how Gale threw his head back further into his pillow as he felt her warm skin touch his. Mara stroked him a few times before she bent down and gave a wide swipe of her tongue from the bottom of his shaft to the tip. One of Gale’s hands flew to her hair as she did it again and swirled her tongue around the tip to collect the precum that emanated from him. She took him in her mouth just as he was about to say something and caused him to gasp at the feel of her. After she bobbed her head up and down a few times, she released him from her mouth, much to his dismay, and looked at him with her gaze that often beguiled him.
“You doing okay?” She asked with a sultry tone.
Gale struggled to slow his breathing down, “Marvelous, darling. Don’t… please.. Don’t stop.” He panted.
Mara smiled and pressed a searing kiss to hip before she took him in her mouth again. She continued to take as much of him as she could as deep as she could. She used her hand to stroke what she couldn’t take. Mara could hear a spew of curses that streamed from Gale before he started to chant her name like a prayer. She hollowed his cheeks when she heard this, desperate to pleasure him and hear him cry her name as he orgasmed. Gale knew he wouldn’t last much longer if she kept up the pace and he was just as desperate to pleasure her, to feel and taste her cunt. He was too far gone to be able to form sentences; he used the hand that was in her hair to dig deeper into her thick, luscious hair and gave it one good, hard pull to make her stop for a moment.
Gale heard Mara grunt in a mixture of pleasure and pain as she took herself off of him. He immediately rubbed that spot where he pulled in an attempt to soothe it as he caught his breath.
“Apologizes, love. I was close but couldn’t find the words to tell you to stop.” Gale said as he sat up in front of her.
“I do love having that effect on you.” Mara hummed as she leaned into Gale.
He was quick to capture her lips against his as he gave her a hungry kiss. She moaned at his fervor and attempted to straddle him again. He pushed against her hips to keep her on the bed and pulled his lips away.
“As much as I want you on top of me again, I fear it would be ungentlemanly of me to leave you wanting.” He guided her to lay down where he had been.
“We both know that won’t happen, love. Believe me, you take excellent care of me.” She didn’t resist the change in placement.
He smirked at her sentiment as he straddled her and peppered kisses down her throat. He stopped at her pulse point and sucked her skin into his mouth; he knew it definitely bruised her, and he was excited to admire it later. He made his way down her body much faster than she had descended his. His eagerness to have his lips on her breasts was evident. He kissed his way down the valley of her chest and across one of her breasts before he took her nipple in his mouth. Mara let out a sharp moan as she tangled her hand in his hair and tried to pull him closer into her. She felt as Gale moved himself to one side of her; as she was about to question what he was doing, she felt his fingers curl around the waistband of her underwear. Mara instinctively lifted her hips for Gale to take them off. Gale moaned into her as he slid a finger through her folds and felt how wet she already was. He positioned himself between her thighs and marveled at the sight of her splayed out for him. He watched as her breasts heaved as she panted with want. Want for him. Gale wasted no time in getting his mouth on the apex of her thighs. They moaned in unison as he swiped his tongue through her folds and flicked her clit with the tip of his tongue. He latched his mouth around her sensitive bud and let out a guttural moan as he felt Mara’s thighs clench around his head. She let out a high pitched moan as he sucked on her clit. Her hand found the back of his head again and she wantonly moaned as she felt one of his fingers glide through her folds again.
Gale reluctantly pulled his mouth off Mara, though he didn’t move it far from her before he asked, “How many fingers, angel?”, Mara whined at the question.
“Aht, aht. Use your words.”, he encouraged.
“Two… two fingers. Gale, please.” She whined in response.
“There’s my good girl.” His praise caused Mara to moan as she waited for him to touch her again. He placed a kiss to the inside of her thigh, and bit at her skin when he did.
He slowly slid his fingers into her; he hissed at how tight she felt around him. Gale watched as Mara moaned and arched her back off the bed. He continued to slowly stretch her out and watched as her face contorted with pleasure. As much as Mara loved how much attention and care he gave her, she soon begged him for more. He obliged as he latched his lips around her clit again and fucked her with his fingers faster. He felt as Mara bucked her hips into his hand and mouth, how she clenched around him, ready to cum already. He removed his lips from around her clit and rested his head against her thigh. He wanted to watch her face as he curled his fingers inside of her and hit the spot she loved so much. Mara raised her brows in pleasure as she felt him press against the sensitive spot only he knew how to get to. A slew of curses came from her as she ground her hips into Gale, desperate for the orgasm she neared. Gale kept a fast pace as he wanted her to finish quickly. He could admit he wanted to have his cock buried deep within her, to feel her cum around him, but he wasn’t selfish enough to do that without making her cum on his fingers first.
He continued his praise to Mara, desperate to feel her clench around his fingers as she orgasmed.
“Please, Mara, Please.. Let me feel you cum around my fingers.” Gale practically pleaded as he watched her come undone.
That was all she needed to send her over the edge. Mara moaned his name loudly as she arched her back off the mattress and saw stars from the intense climax Gale gave her. She laid there, a sweaty mess, as she watched Gale sit up on his knees and bring the fingers he used to fuck her to his mouth. She watched as he sucked her cum off his fingers and moaned as he did. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him to her as she met him in a passionate kiss, able to taste herself on his tongue.
He used his body to push her back against the mattress. He sat back up and grabbed the back of her thighs and pushed them back towards her head to bring her hips up. Gale lined himself up with Mara and pushed himself in; he let out a husky moan as he bottomed out easily and stilled himself for a moment to steel his nerves. Mara writhed underneath him and begged him to move. He was more than happy to do so as he set a punishing pace and put his chest on the back of Mara’s thighs as he fucked her.
They both knew they wouldn’t last long like this; Gale had been close to cumming since Mara had given him a blowjob and the overstimulation was too much for Mara. Tears pricked her eyes as she felt the stretch of her muscles, the subtle stretch of her cunt, Gale’s weight on her; she was about to cum again. Gale knew this too, he could feel her cunt tighten around him, which caused him to groan in pleasure.
He grabbed her hand as he fucked into her. “I need to feel you cum around me, angel. Please. I need to feel you cum around me again.” He begged. “You look so beautiful when you’re fucked out on my cock.”
“Fuckin’ hells, Gale, don’t stop.” Mara moaned as she squeezed his hand tight.
He continued his pace as he quickly approached his own orgasm until he felt Mara clench around him as she came with a scream of his name. It was too much for him and he buried himself deep within her as he came. He slowly dropped Mara’s legs, which she kept wrapped around him. Neither of them were ready to be separated. They laid tangled together for a few minutes before Gale slowly pulled himself out Mara; a hiss escaped him from the overstimulation and she whined at the loss of him. He clambered out of bed and disappeared into their ensuite for a moment but quickly returned with a warm, wet rag. He delicately cleaned Mara up and watched as her body jerked every time he touched her sensitive clit.
Once Gale had sufficiently cleaned Mara up, he laid down next to her and pulled her flush with his body. He peppered kisses along the crown of her head as she tightly wrapped her arms around him. She felt as he moved a hand off of her and muttered something under his breath. She looked up at him to see that he had conjured a mistletoe above them with a cheeky smile.
“Happy Midwinter, my love. You’re the best gift I could have ever received.” he whispered to her.
Mara smiled as she groaned at his corny, but romantic, gesture. She placed a kiss on his lips and she said, “Happy Midwinter, sweetheart. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
They cuddled into each other as much as they could as the early Midwinter morning sun glinted off the freshly fallen snow and into their window.