Chapter 247 — What Shen Wants

Shen heard Nia laughing before she reached the household entrance.

He had returned from the care station earlier than usual and was sitting at the table with a small bowl of preserved fruit. Ren occupied the opposite end with a writing roll spread before him, while Kael spoke with a patrol male near the entrance. Nothing had required Shen's attention since he finished the last of his work, and he had been enjoying the quiet when Nia's voice reached him from farther down the passage.

She appeared a moment later, her long curls tied back with several loose sections framing her face. Her rabbit ears stood high, and she carried a small wrapped packet in one hand.

“You enjoyed yourself,” Shen said as she approached.

“I did. We stayed much longer than I expected. Pella needed to get home before supper, and the rest of us still stood around talking after we'd gathered everything.”

Nia leaned down to kiss him, and Shen slipped an arm around her waist, keeping her close long enough to steal another kiss before allowing her to straighten.

Ren looked up from his writing. “Did Ayari learn anything worth repeating?”

“Several things. You'll have to ask her how much she's willing to share.” Nia placed her packet on the table and opened the cloth, revealing several thin slices of sweet root coated with dried honey-bark syrup. “Pella made these. They're a little chewy, and the sweetness is just right. I thought about Shen as soon as I tasted one.”

Shen selected a slice and bit into it. The outer coating offered a little resistance before giving way to the tender root beneath, releasing a sweetness that lingered pleasantly on his tongue. He finished the first bite before taking another.

Nia watched him with a satisfied smile.

“You were right,” he told her. “The root still has its own flavor.”

“I knew you'd like it. Pella sent enough for everyone to take a few home.”

Ren leaned closer to examine the packet. “Does that include me, or are you guarding these for Shen?”

“It includes whoever Shen chooses to share with.”

Shen nudged the cloth toward him. “Take one before you spend the rest of the evening discussing it.”

Ren accepted the invitation with a grin and helped himself. Shen folded the cloth over the remaining slices and put the packet on the food shelf before returning to his seat. Ren was still chewing when Kael joined them after the patrol male departed, and Nia began recounting a few things that had happened at the pond.

Ren laughed at Nia's description of Pella's enormous basket, while Kael listened with a faint smile as she described Luma's husbands repeatedly rearranging their sleeping coverings. When Nia mentioned Ayari's attempt to follow her dancing on the way home, Ren turned away from his writing to listen.

“She almost walked into the wall,” Nia admitted. “I caught her before she reached it, and then she wanted to try again.”

“Was there music?” Shen asked.

“Someone was playing a drum below. I heard it while we were walking and couldn't resist.”

Kael's mouth softened. “You rarely do.”

Nia gave him a look, but she was smiling when she turned back toward Shen. “I told Ayari we should go dancing together one evening. I haven't done nearly enough of that since coming here.”

Shen could easily imagine her joining the music before anyone else had decided whether to dance. She had always responded to rhythm with a freedom that fascinated him, even when she was occupied with something else.

When Nia rose to wash before supper, he accompanied her toward the rear passage. She reached for his hand as they walked, and Shen caught her fingers, turning her palm upward to kiss the center.

“What was that for?” she asked, looking up at him.

“I'd like to spend the evening with you. Alone, once we've finished eating.”

Her smile changed. “That sounds lovely.”

“I was hoping you wouldn't have other plans.”

“I went to sit by a pond and eat sweets, Shen. I think I've had enough excitement for one day.” She stepped closer and kissed his cheek. “Besides, I haven't spent much time with you today.”

He kept her hand in his as they continued toward the washing area. She was still telling him about something Tessa had said, and Shen listened while considering how pleasant it would be to have her company without the rest of the household around them.

By the end of supper, Kael and Ren had become occupied with a discussion about a merchant they both knew. Nia helped Shen cover the remaining food, and they carried the dishes into storage together. When she finished wiping the preparation surface, Shen took the cloth from her and set it beside the basin.

“Finished?”

“Unless you've found somewhere else that needs cleaning.”

“Nothing that can't wait until morning.”

Nia looked at him, amused. “That sounds unusually generous.”

“I have other interests tonight.”

She laughed and reached for his hand.

They crossed the main chamber without ceremony. Kael glanced up as they passed, his gaze moving briefly between them before he returned to his conversation with Ren. Neither husband interrupted, and Shen led Nia into the bedroom, drawing the entrance covering into place behind them.

The chamber was warm, with the lighter bedding arranged across the sleeping area. Nia stopped beside the bed and turned to watch him.

“You've been looking forward to this,” she said.

“Yes.”

“Since I came home?”

“Longer. I was thinking about having you to myself while you were getting ready to leave for the pond.”

Nia approached and rested her hands against his chest. “You could have said something.”

“You had somewhere you wanted to go. I wasn't asking you to change your plans.”

“I know.” She rose onto her toes and brushed a kiss against his mouth. “Now you have my attention.”

Shen caught her waist before she could step back. He knew the difference between her playful kisses and the ones she offered when she wanted to linger, and he recognized the latter in the way her fingers remained against his chest.

“I'd like to choose our pace tonight,” he said.

Nia's smile deepened. “Then choose.”

He bent and kissed her, keeping one arm around her waist while his other hand moved along her back. She leaned into him, and when she began drawing him toward the bedding, he held her where they stood a little longer.

“Not yet,” he murmured.

Her answering laugh warmed his mouth. “You're enjoying making me wait.”

“A little.”

He kissed her cheek and followed the line of her jaw until his lips found the place beneath her ear. Nia's rabbit ears shifted, and she caught his shoulders, tilting her head to give him easier access. Shen lingered there before returning to her mouth, pleased when her hands tightened against his tunic and drew him closer.

By the time he lifted his head, her breathing had changed.

“You're taking your time,” she said.

“I intend to.”

“Then I'm going to need somewhere to sit eventually.”

Shen laughed and guided her toward the bed, sitting beside her with their knees touching. Nia rested a hand against his thigh, but he caught her wrist gently and brought her palm to the orchid mark beneath his tunic.

“Here,” he said, keeping her hand against his chest.

Nia moved her thumb over the fabric, then leaned forward to kiss the place beneath her palm. Shen's breath caught at the warmth of her mouth, and he rested his hand against the back of her neck as she kissed him again.

“That's what you wanted?” she asked when she lifted her head.

“Yes. I'd like more of it.”

She smiled, bending toward his chest once more. Shen let her continue until he wanted to kiss her himself, then drew her up to meet his mouth.

Nia braced one hand against his shoulder as he leaned closer. She had no difficulty answering his affection, and he enjoyed the weight of her body moving toward him as he drew out the kiss.

After a while, Shen loosened the fastening at his collar. Nia helped him remove his tunic and set it beside the bedding before returning her hands to his bare shoulders.

Her touch was light at first, but when he leaned into it, she pressed her palms more firmly against him. The pressure worked through the muscles that remained tight from his day at the care station, and Shen lowered his head slightly so she could reach farther across his upper back.

“That feels good,” he said.

“I can tell. You're finally letting your shoulders relax.”

“Then don't stop yet.”

Nia continued, working slowly until Shen's breathing had deepened and the tension beneath her palms eased. He caught one of her hands and kissed it before drawing her toward the center of the bedding.

They settled onto their sides facing one another. Shen moved his long hair behind his shoulder, freeing the strands caught beneath his arm, while Nia made room for his tail along the edge of the sleeping area. He slipped one arm beneath her shoulders and rested the other at her waist, drawing her close enough that their bodies touched from shoulder to hip.

Nia's hand returned to his chest as she kissed him. Her fingers moved along his shoulder and down his back, and Shen leaned into the contact, guiding her hand toward the place she had found earlier.

“Stay there,” he murmured.

She obliged, moving her palm slowly while he lowered his face to her neck. The pressure of her hand, combined with the warmth of her body against his, made it increasingly difficult to maintain his usual measured breathing.

Nia's fingers paused when he drew in a sharper breath. Shen lifted his head, caught her wrist, and returned her hand to his back.

“Don't stop.”

She smiled and resumed, drawing him closer with her free arm.

He rested against her for a little while, enjoying the steady movement of her hand and the occasional kiss she placed against his temple. When he raised his head again, several curls had slipped across her cheek. He moved them aside, but Nia caught his fingers before he could withdraw them and pressed a kiss against his knuckles.

Shen drew her toward him and kissed her with less restraint than before. She answered immediately, her hands tightening against his back as they shifted together. He was beginning to find the closeness of their clothing less pleasant than the warmth beneath it, and his gaze moved briefly to the ties at her shoulder. Nia followed his glance and reached for the fastenings.

Shen moved back enough to give her room. She sat up beside him, and he helped loosen the ties before she removed the garments that remained between them. They set the clothing with his tunic at the edge of the bedding, and Nia turned back toward him with her arms already reaching for his shoulders.

He drew her down beside him again, letting her settle against his chest before kissing her. His tail moved clear of their legs as he guided her onto her back and shifted over her, supporting his weight while she made room for him.

Their earlier teasing faded as he drew closer. Shen began slowly, allowing them both to settle into a comfortable rhythm, and Nia moved with him, her arms warm around his back. When she drew him nearer, he followed. When he wanted to linger, he slowed, feeling her fingers tighten against his shoulders before she relaxed with him.

He had always enjoyed the care involved in their intimacy, but tonight there was particular pleasure in letting himself choose when to pause and when to continue. Nia's response remained immediate and familiar, and the warmth of her body against his made it increasingly difficult to keep his breathing steady.

As their rhythm deepened, Shen lowered his head to her shoulder. Nia turned her face toward his, resting her cheek against his hair, and held him close while his breath warmed her skin. The pressure of her hand along his back made him shiver, and he drew closer before lifting his head to kiss her.

Her fingers tightened at his shoulders when he moved again. Shen adjusted his position as his supporting arm began to tire, settling his weight more comfortably while Nia shifted with him. The change brought her mouth close to his cheek, and she caught him in a kiss that interrupted his next breath.

Shen remained close to her, letting the warmth and movement between them carry him beyond the point where he would normally have tried to steady himself. His breath escaped in a rough sound, and his muscles tightened as pleasure overwhelmed his remaining restraint.

Nia's arms stayed around him while the trembling gradually subsided. Shen rested his face near her neck, breathing against her skin until he could raise his head without feeling quite so unsteady.

He found her watching him with a warm, satisfied smile. When she touched his cheek, he turned to kiss the inside of her palm before easing onto his side and drawing her with him.

She settled against his chest, one arm resting across him while his tail curved along the bedding behind her legs. He was pleasantly tired, and the warmth left by their intimacy made the lighter covering unnecessary for another few moments.

Nia traced a slow pattern over his skin.

“You're quiet,” she murmured.

“I'm enjoying the quiet.”

“Then I won't disturb you.”

“You aren't disturbing me.”

“I know.” She smiled against his shoulder and continued moving her hand over his chest.

Shen laughed softly before reaching for the covering. He drew it over them, freeing the end of his tail when the fabric caught beneath it. Nia shifted closer as he settled back, her curls brushing his skin.

Outside the bedroom, the household continued its ordinary evening. Someone crossed the main chamber, and a faint murmur of conversation reached them through the passage. Shen recognized Ren's voice in the distance, followed by a shorter reply from Kael, but neither sounded as though he needed anything.

He remained where he was, resting with Nia against him.

After a while, she reached for the water vessel beside the bedding. She drank first and offered it to Shen, waiting while he finished before returning it to its place.

Her curls had come partly free of their tie, and she made no attempt to gather them again. One loose section caught beneath her shoulder when she settled beside him, so Shen freed it before resting his arm around her waist.

Nia watched him for a moment.

“I liked tonight.”

“So did I.”

She smiled. “I noticed.”

Shen caught her hand and kissed her fingers before returning it to his chest.

“I've always enjoyed being with you,” he said. “But sometimes I have something particular in mind, and I think I'd like to say so more often.”

“Then I'd like to hear it.” Nia shifted until she could rest her cheek against his shoulder. “You know I enjoy making you happy.”

“I do.”

She kissed him once more, then settled comfortably against his side.

They remained together while the voices in the main chamber gradually faded. The room had grown cooler, although the covering kept them warm, and Shen could hear the faint movement of air through the passage beyond the entrance.

Nia's hand rested over his orchid mark. Her breathing slowed, and after a while he thought she might have fallen asleep, but her fingers moved when he covered them with his own. She turned her palm to clasp his hand and shifted closer without opening her eyes.

Shen kissed her forehead, then settled back with his white hair spread across the bedding and his tail resting comfortably beneath the lighter covering. He stayed beside her as the household settled for the night.