Before long, there's no barriers to separate them from each other. Her skin against his own speaks to him more than the passion of their kiss. It's hot and soft in the same breath, begging for him to melt. Killian pulled his lips back, breathing heavy as she pulls him forward.

Even though they've flipped, control still remains hers, and it beats something fierce inside his chest. He leaned forward to rest his forehead on her own. His hips refusing to move any further. Denying her the pleasure she so impatiently demanded he give.

Alexandra Briarwood

The touch of his skin on hers is electrifying and it never ceases to excite her. Each spark ignites a small flame, adding to the sudden burn in desire that intensifies her demand for him. She burns for him, needs him. All of him.

He denies her such pleasure.

The frustration that grows would normally fuel a part of her that submits, begs him for release. This time, it fuels something else. If he isn’t willing, she’ll take what she wants.

Heavy breaths fill the small void between them with hot air. Her lips curl into a grin, legs wrapping around his, trapping, and a push reverses them again. She takes a more regal sense power, looming over him with a confident dominance that’s equally as new and exciting for her.

There, she will take what she wants. It’s more powerful and demanding than she’s ever been. She burns hot and heavy, beads of sweat making her glisten in the room’s dull light. She grabs hold of whatever parts of him she can, craving his touch just as much as the euphoria he brings her.

As always, it ends with his name; the sweetest word to ever leaves her lips.

Killian Decker

Killian's hers in a way that he's never been before. The dominated instead of the dominator. He sinks into the role reluctantly at first, fighting for control but forced down at every attempt. But the pleasure-ridden expression on her face melts his hesitation into acceptance.

Together, they explore new roles - and both leave the heated exchange of lust satisfied.

--

They sat in the kitchen hours later. Lobster and various other seafood sprawled out on the table for their enjoyment. It might have tasted better earlier, but waiting was more than worth it.

"You didn't answer me earlier." Killian says, pushing aside his empty plate to sip from his glass. "What's been going on with you lately?" it's more than the bedroom. On the ship, at the space center - change brewed inside the woman he loved. Why?

Simply the work of Rocket and the darkness they'd pushed into her, or something more? Something...darker?

"I don't mind it, I'm just -"

Worried.

"Curious."

Alexandra Briarwood

With his help, she managed to slip back into that little black dress and join him downstairs for dinner. Their heated activities left her ravenous, but she’s still patient in the way she eats. The food is delicious, and she tells him so. Even after sitting and waiting for them to return it’s still one of the best meals she’s had in quite some time.

A warm gaze lifts up from the last of her food at his question. It gives her pause, the fork in her hand gently finding it’s place back on the plate.

Does she even know? A bit. Like Killian, she seeks strength, just not at under the control of a deity. Not under the control of anyone. She’s lived too long under someone else’s thumb. She’s tired of being pushed around, chased, beat into submission. His intentions for tonight still remain unclear. Honesty would probably be best, but right now? As they finish an enjoyable dinner? She opts not to dive into it, instead speaking a half-truth, “I – I’m not really sure, Killian,” there’s a bit of fear in her tone. She understands the why but where it comes from, the dark place, is still a mystery. How deep does the void go?

Killian Decker

His lips pursed at her response. "That's okay." it's not, and try as he might, Killian can't keep the worry from his voice. "We'll figure it out together."

She's as ignorant to the depths of her darkness as he is, and it sinks an iron weight onto his chest. Made all the heavier by the faint traces of fear inside her. Killian wishes there was something he could do. A simple fix to the problem, an answer he could pluck from his mind and hand to her like he always did. But there isn't, and that pains him.

Whatever war is going on inside Lex is one that Killian can't fight for her. What he can do is try to make it easier. Lessen the burden placed on her from the outside.

"Are you finished eating? I've got something I'd like you to see."

He smiled.

Alexandra Briarwood

The subtle fear in her voice mirrors the worry in his. It makes both of their feelings obvious to the other. Her lips seal tight at the thought. The last thing she wants to bring him is worry. He has plenty of that in his job already. Her struggle is her burden. Unfortunately, bound by love, it meant he shares the burden – just like she shares his.

Suddenly, she’s not hungry anymore and the half-finished plate is pushed gently aside so she can grab her wine. The action of sipping and savoring it is a welcome distraction from the thought that were forcibly pulled to the front of her mind.

Of course, it’s Killian that pulls her out of the depths. A glance at her plate is followed by a nod, “Yes,” she confirms, setting the wine down. There’s a curious, almost playful, shine behind her narrowed gaze, “You didn’t buy another house, did you?” she teases, recalling the last time they did something like that it ended with a trip to this very home.

Killian Decker

"No, nothing like that. What I have in in mind is a bit smaller." he laughed, patting his pocket from underneath the table. The rough edges of the square box containing his surprise poked at his hand. "But I think you'll like it more." if she didn't, things were going to get a bit more complicated for them.

Suddenly, his mouth felt dry, like a sandstorm sucked away all the moisture. Killian took another drink. The plum wine passed quickly down his throat but failed to quench his thirst. When's the last time he'd felt like this?

Thump. Thump.

Killian swore she'd be able to hear his heart as he stood up from the table. "I need you to take my hand and close your eyes." he reached for her with an open hand, "You have to keep them close until I say otherwise." simple but important instructions.

Alexandra Briarwood

“Hmmmm,” she hums curiously reaching out to take his hand as she stands up, “Are you sure it isn’t our anniversary or something?” She’s oblivious. He’s done a great job deceiving her which is difficulty.

Lex does more than just take his hand. She steps closer to him, sliding an arm around his waist to hug him gently. She faces him, smiling up into his shinning pool of aqua, “Alright,” she agree, cutting off her gaze with the slow lowering of her lids. Patiently, she waits as instructed, eyes closed and tucked against him.

Killian Decker

Killian took a moment to stare once her eyes shut. Every detail of Lex's face, from the way her nose curved and cheekbones raised to the scar that ran down her right eye - he captured it all. His eyes lingered on the lips he'd kissed a thousand times or more. Red like cherries, delicious and plump like a strawberry.

One more kiss for good luck wouldn't hurt. Killian pressed his lips into her own. The usual ferocity traded for a tender but no less passionate embrace. As they kissed, a Natu landed on his shoulder, Teleporting them away.

They landed on the sturdy shell of a Lapras. She'd been waiting here patiently for them to arrive since the night started. The ocean waves lapped gently against the mammal's side. In the distance, Wingull squawked but were quickly lost to the sounds of a bustling city.

Brilliant shades of orange and deep reds from a setting sun spread out over the sea. Picturesque in how they mixed with the dark blue of the water below. Killian couldn't have timed it better.

"Steady." he broke away but held her close. The drum beating inside his chest grew louder by the second. Anxiety was a violent storm inside him that only Lex could calm. She could make it worse too.

All it took was one word.

Still not ready for her to open her eyes, he slipped behind her carefully, arms wrapped snugly behind her waist. Adjusting Lex's body, Killian pointed her toward the source of all the noise. Weeks of planning all led to this moment. Pressed so closely together, she'd be able to feel his heart going haywire.

"Before you open your eyes, do you think you could guess where we're at."

He silenced himself and let the world do the talking.

Not the ocean but the city. They weren't too far from the shore. If she focused, surely she'd hear the magnet train zooming down its tracks. The barking of Houndour at Sentret. Smell the smoke mixing with the salt in the air. Unforgettable sounds and scents from a familiar place.

From their city.

Alexandra Briarwood

The kiss ends with a familiar feeling of being torn through space as TELEPORT lands them on the back of a Laparas. The uneven footing is surprising and without opening her eyes, she gasps, both arms looking to grip him tighter until she steadies herself.

What the actual fuck?

Salty air fills her nostrils when she takes a deep breath. It only adds to the confusion. Killian hates the salt air. Where on earth are they and why? Her brows furrow, frustration tugging at her impatience to open her eyes. Still, she keeps them closed.

He shifts and moves. She’s reluctant to let him go but he wiggles his way free, moving behind her and comforting her again with a tight grip around her waist. Her hands trace his arms, hands settling over his. It’s hard to miss the rhythmic thrum of his heart beating wildly against her. Curious.

“How am I supposed to guess that?” she asks before even trying. It’s silence that shifts her attention to her surrounds. Salty air, the soft caw of Wingul . . . was that a magnet train? It couldn’t be.

Realization creeps in all too slowly. It’s not a place she dreamed she’d be able to return to, so therefore it was never on her radar. A smile slowly creeps across her cherry lips in disbelief. Could she really trust her senses? Was she getting her hopes up? Her lips part to speak but the words choke in her throat, overwhelmed by emotion, “Killian . . . are we home?” her grip on his tightens in anticipation of disappointment or great joy.

Killian Decker

It's slow to set in, but that's fine. Killian would wait as long he needed for her to piece things together. He enjoyed the warmth of her body while he did. Nose pressed against her hair, he takes in her scent, lets his fingers trace loving circles along her skin.

All that emotion in her voice when it finally hits warms his chest. An intense heat radiates and fills him completely. All that anxious energy felt trivial in the wake of how tight she holds him.

"Never let go."

Killian smiled, the widest one since Hoenn tainted the both of them. Here, in Goldenrod City, if only for a moment, they were free.

"We are."

His lips touch the nape of her neck and then the back of her ear. "You can open your eyes, but I need you to keep looking forward." So close now, the question is on the tip of his tongue, begging to be asked.

"Promise?"

Alexandra Briarwood

We are.

Lex smiles wide, the widest she’s smiled in a long time. Home.

She almost breaks her promise and opens her eyes, almost. Her body shudders beneath his grip, anxious to do so and lay eyes on the place she thought she’d never be able to return to. It’s where it all started, where they started.

“Killian –“ she begins but is interrupted by the touch of his lips on the nape of her neck. It sends a shiver down her spine and makes the words catch in her throat. Lex nods, “I promise,” she confirms.

Her eyes peel open slowly, to catch the breathtaking view of Goldenrod’s skyline bathed in the warm glow of the sunset. Even if she wanted to turn around, she doesn’t think she could. She’s captivated by a sight long dreamed of but never made reality. Her emotions manifest as a glossy sheen over amber eyes, one more blink as a lone tear slowly crawls down her cheek.

Killian Decker

[player]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/839921454543142962/851099987161251840/Passion_Sanctuary_-_KINGDOM_HEARTS_II_Piano_cover_arr._by_kylelandry.mp3[/player]

At the shudder of her body and whispered promise, Killian pulled his arms away and stepped back.

Of all the things that make Killian who he is, the one he's never been short on is confidence. His smile and swaggered step carried him far. Without them, none of what he had today would be possible. That includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. But most importantly, he wouldn't have her.

Alexandra Briarwood. The best thing to ever happened to him.

An Espeon too eager to get somewhere might have connected them. But it was his choice to follow, to let Lex in and fall in love when he'd closed himself off. And though they've endured a lot together, would continue to do so, Killian doesn't regret that choice for a second.

He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled a black box heavier than it looked out. "Lex, I love you." emotion overwhelms his voice, pulled from the depths of a place he rarely touched.

A year in jail.

Hoenn.

Endless nightmares.

All for her, anything for her - and that didn't change even when they were apart. When she'd pushed Killian away, his heart always beat for her. No one else.

That dryness in his mouth returned. Brought forth by an anxious storm rolling thunder within him. "Completely and with everything that I am. When you're by my side, it feels like I can tackle the world and do the impossible. I -" he stuttered, stumbling over words he'd practiced to himself a hundred times before now.

"On Mt.Pyre, you told me that I filled a piece of your soul. I want to give you a portion of mine. I want you to be mine."

And he takes her line because it fits so perfectly.

"Forever and another after that."

A pause before.

"Turn around."

Down on one knee, black box open and the beautiful diamond ring he'd stolen from some unfortunate soul on display. Killian asked the question he'd been desperate to all night.

"Lex, will you marry me?"

He waited on bated breath for her answer.

Alexandra Briarwood