Reality check - Bittersweet reminder[cw]

As he took her hand she felt like he was about to deny her request, but as he agreed, with the terms being only if it didn't hurt their child, she felt relieved. He kept looking at her hand and she just looked at his face. His question made sense, but she didn't know how to explain it completely. "It will take some preparations, and I'll have to go speak with the priestess at the temple," she said, taking a deep breath. "It would have to take place in the Woods of Ash by the Hollow Tree," she said, looking at him as her other hand stroked his cheek softly. "We will each have to give a small offering, both to the Elders and each of our own gods," she said, swallowing because she felt a little nervous. She had told Aiden about this idea before, but would they have enough time to prepare? "The ceremony is quite hefty for the priestess to perform, and we would need to make sure that it is only the three of us, as to not risk tainting the ground," she said, looking down at her hand in his. There was a small calm wave that washed over her. "The priestess binds my soul to yours and your soul to mine ... It's not something you can get a divorce from," she said in a serious voice. Once a soul was bound to another, they could not be separated, not even in death.

He knew nothing of the fenix bond so when she started explaining, he sat quietly with her hand in his, listening intently as he kept looking at her hand. He didnt move speak or do anything but listen while he thought about her words. Her last serious words seemed to bring him back to life as he looked up into her eyes, still holding her knuckles to his lips. "Are you sure you could be bound to me forever?" he asked her. Not that he was doubting her, but he himself was quite certain of what he wanted. He had lived a long life, so decisions werent made lightheartedly in his mind. If he hadnt been certain, he wouldnt have fought so hard against his own kind to be with her, let alone risk being killed. But with her many different lives to come, wouldnt it be a different kind of decision for her?

"Forever," she promised in a serious voice. She would have never considered binding herself to another, but she felt like it was her safest bet. Looking at his eyes that was like a sea of gras, breathing in the small hints of anise that she felt so relaxed by. "I'm not sure what it will mean being bound to a daemon, it's normally something two fenix' do; to make sure they find each other in the next life and forever from that point on," she confessed. She wondered what it would be like, but she was not worried. "I could either gain eternal life because of being bound to you; or when I die I would return to you in my next life," she said frowning as she wasn't sure what she hoped for. Living forever seemed like such an overwhelming thought, but having Baal by her side would mean she didn't think about time either way. She scooted a little closer, her hand moving down his face, her thumb lightly running over his lower lip. "But I know I could look multiple lifetimes, and I would never feel anything remotely close to what I feel when I'm with you," she said in a vulnerable tone, her hand moving further down. Her fingers running over his marked skin, her index finger following one of the large swirls.

Her promise made him smile broad as he felt quite joyful in knowing she wanted to be his forever. But at the same time it sparked a certain nervousness in him, not because he would ever change his mind, it was just that he wouldnt ever have her feel like she was forced to stay with him if she ever changed her mind in the slightest. But maybe that was a far fetched guess of the future. For now he just enjoyed looking into her green eyes with the bright flame behind them. He could swear she was already glowing from her pregnancy or maybe he was just too entranced by the moment. He listened to her words and nodded, leaning into her hand on his face while he made a small shrug, “Either are fine to me. I just want to be with you,” he said in a soft tone, smiling a little. He closed his eyes as he thought about either turn-out, so he just felt her move closer. It wasnt till she touched his lower lip that he opened his eyes again, his lips seperating a little by her gentle touch. “Then I’d love to make you feel that way forever,” he said, smiling a little as he looked down at her hand that traced his marks. He sighed deeply, letting go of her before he moved his hands under the water. He gently scooped the soapy water up in his hands to carefully drive the water up her body. His motions were slow and gentle as he looked at his hands move along her curves, rubbing in the soap on her soft skin. He made sure to look into her eyes a few times as he felt his heartbeat rise at the intimacy.

Buffy couldn't help but chuckle softly at the way his face lit up. There was just always something about her daemon that could make her smile. He started moving his hands under the water, and she soon felt the soapy water getting rubbed in to her skin. Truth be told, she was biting back a few moans, as just his hands seemed to have that effect on her. Looking at him her gaze was soft, but her eyes burned brighter than ever. "But would you be satisfied with only me for eternity?" she whispered softly. She knew that people could stray, be tempted by something that seemed better in the moment. She didn't believe he would ever break her heart, but he was the one holding it. Moving both her hands down in to the water she moved her palms up along his chest, gently massaging in the warm water on his skin. She was extra careful with the part of his chest that had the scarring. Moving closer to him she reached behind him to take a small cup, kissing his forehead gently as she dunked it under water, filling it. Then she started rising off his torso, or at least the part available for her, kissing him from time to time, just to get some sort of release to the growing tension in her stomach. "Do daemons have any customs regarding naming a child?" she asked. It was of course early to speak of names, but she liked letting her imagination wander just for the time being.

"Are you asking me if I'd ever get bored of you?" he asked her with his head tilted to the side. He frowned a little before he shook his head, clicking his teeth as he smiled softly at her. "That's a silly question. But I could understand your worry. I couldnt ever get bored of you and the way you make me feel, that much I know," he said, running his hand up her body, feeling the electricity against his palm as the tension slowly rebuilt inside of him. When she started running the water against his skin, he made a small sigh, leaning back a little as he still kept his hands on her but now he was letting her do what she wanted to. He closed his eyes as he felt her hands on him, sticking out his tongue to wet his lip a little before he softly bit down on it. He leaned into her kisses from time to time. "Names?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her before he made a deep sigh as he leaned back. "I suppose it is. I wasnt named by my mother though, but I dont think it's custom not to," he said a little absent-minded, looking up at the ceiling. "I'm terrible at names though," he admitted, frowning a little as he looked at her. His frown softened up in a smile as he reached out for her, pulling her closer. "What do you have in mind on names?" he asked, slowly pulling her up into his lap with a devilish smirk on his lips.

It was hard to believe he would never get tired of her, but she knew it was the same way for her. In her heart she didn’t believe that she would ever get enough of him. As he closed his eyes she smiled softly as she kept washing his body. She knew the bath was mostly just for the intimacy of it all, but she wanted to rinse him down as well. And it was a great excuse to keep touching him. Her hands moved in circular motions until she reached his shoulders where she started massaging him lightly, just getting some of his tense muscles to relax. Saying he was terrible at names made her shrug, it was perhaps more of a female trait to think about the names of ones children. He grabbed her, pulling her closer and she giggled sweetly as the water splashed a bit. “I’m just playing around with a few ... but I’m trying to come up with a name that sounds normal but is special; at least for us,” she said, running a hand up in to his hair, feeling her hips eager to move, but she just kept them relatively still. “I like simple names ... Like Chloe or Lucy,” she said. She still held on to the dream she had had about it being a girl. “But I also like classic names like Elizabeth and Josette,” she said in a pondering ton, leaning down to hover her lips slightly above his. “I had hoped you had ideas,” she chuckled before she kissed him tenderly.

Feeling his skin rub closely against hers made her sigh as she leaned away from his lips. She wanted to be closer to him as always, but for now this sweet and almost innocent way of being together was too good to break up. As he spoke she hummed, signaling she was listening to what he said. She could feel his thumbs on her lower back, smiling as he told her not to laugh, as to say that she wouldn't. Lowenna. "It's a beautiful name," she said softly, thinking it to herself as she tried figuring out if it was a name she could keep calling. "Does it have a specific meaning?" she asked, tilting her head a little to the side as she started pouring more water on him. Reaching around to wash the part of his back that she could touch with her flat palms moving in circles. Ever since Buffy had been a child she had loved baths, loved the whole part of taking the time to just relax and soak for a while. But having Baal there made everything that much better. Looking at him she just saw the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, and even the lives afterwards. Her face lit up as she thought of something, chuckling as she felt like a genius. "Saoirse Lowenna Elior," she whispered, raising an eyebrow to see if he felt like that was too cheesy.

As he started kissing her, her movements haltered, enjoying each time his lips touched her skin. She smiled happily, closing her eyes as she focussed on the gentle pressing of his palms against her skin. As he said he liked the name she chuckled, opening her eyes halfway to look at him, a faint whimper of a moan escaping her lips at his words. His lips playing with hers but never really giving her the sweet kiss she longed for, was a tease in it of itself. But hearing him say he was far from done with having children made her core spin. He leaned away, but she wasn't having it. Wrapping an arm around him she leaned closer to him, moving her hips in gentle slow movements, just enough to make a little bit of friction. "How many children did you have in mind?" she whispered, trying to hold back a faint moan.

"You mean as many as you can?" she whispered, biting her lower lip a little. It was all well and fun speaking about having a whole litter of children, it would be rather expensive. However if they could be allowed she would want as many as the gods allowed them to. Even with the Order looming over them. She could feel how his hands were at her hips, his fingers slightly digging in to her skin. "So it's alright when you tease me but not the other way around?" she whispered, moving closer to him, feeling him under the water. She almost purred as she felt him, felt how he was growing restless, wanting her. Just as she wanted him. "I just need you, Belial," she spoke with a tenderness to her tone. It was like when she was with him, she lost the power to keep her distance from him. Her fingers running up in to his hair, entangling themselves in his thick locks. He might've said that he wanted their children to look like her, but she wanted them to look like him. His stunning features and those lovely green eyes. She wanted them to have his nose and lips, to have his understanding and charming nature. Just thinking about it made her more riled up. Biting her lower lip she moved against him again, this times she couldn't help but actually moan.

Scoffing lightly at his words, she shook her head. "It felt like eternity," she whispered, feeling how he was getting as riled up as she was. Leaning down she kissed him ever so softly on the lips, moaning against them as she pressed against him again. The way he pressed her closer made a shiver run down her spine, kissing him against, however this time she didn't move her lips away. They moved in a tender dance with his, softly playing with his rather full lips. Lips that she knew could make her sing in the most wonderful tones. "You don't have to hold back," she whispered sweetly, moaning softly. Her whole body was aching, like she had an itch that only he could scratch. Buffy knew he could drive her crazy, and all he had to do was look at her. She was completely smitten by her daemon, dreaming away yet wanting to stay in the moment and just enjoying what time they had together. "Do you want me?" she asked, looking in to his eyes as she wanted to hear him say it. Hear that she was all he longed for.

Hearing and seeing him like this was all she ever had hoped for in a relationship. However this was not merely them being boyfriend and girlfriend. It had always felt deeper, and now that she was actually carrying his child, the bond they shared had become deeper than ever. She sometimes wondered if they were free falling or slowly floating in to this feeling of love and safety. His assuring words rang in her head, feeling her body move with his guidance. She could feel him at her entrance, moaning under her breath as she felt her walls cramp just from the pure need of him. He spoke once more as he entered her, making her eyes widen and her pupils expand at the immense feeling it was. The way he so slowly entered her was making her whole body rejoice. She felt so out of breath, moans coming from deep within her stomach as he slowly stretched her out. "Other ... Half ..." she moaned as to say she felt the same, but she could hardly focus on stringing together a sentence when he was already making her sing so vulnerably. When he was all the way in she whimpered, leaning down to his face and planting their foreheads together. Closing her eyes she felt her body twitch a bit, her breath trembling. Then she slowly started moving her hips, moaning as her core was spinning with delight. "Belial," she said almost in a pleading voice. How was he making her feel this incredible? She felt her body relax in to his, yet tensing as she moved her hips to greet his. "How do you do it," she pleaded, not knowing what how he could fill her up so completely.

She couldn't hold back a short chuckle as he argued that she was the one moving, therefor she must've been the one doing this magical thing to the both of them. She moved against him a little firmer, just showing that she knew she was, but that it took two to make them feel this way. She looked at him, seeing a spark behind his sea of green as he started touching her. Her jaw dropped and if she hadn't focussed her eyes would've rolled to the back of her head. Her walls cramping up as her high started building fast, her jaw trembling at the sweet feeling he was granting her. She kept moving her hips against him, but this time she felt him so clearly, perhaps because she felt her whole core tighten around him. Her cheeks were flushed with colors of pink, a faint mixture of the mist of the bath and a little bit of sweat laying across her skin. "You're crazy," she whispered in a weak voice, mostly because she felt a little dizzy from the high that soon rushed over her. A moan from deep within sprang from her lips as her walls clenched in sweet relief.

Sweet, sweet relief. The tension in her stomach gone, released and making her core tighten in delicate waves of pleasure. And just as she thought she had felt it all, the sensation of him reaching his high made her face soften up. Mostly because she felt like she had gotten far from enough. She was panting, her lips separated as if it helped gulping down more air. His words rung in her head, the fogginess of her mind making it hard for her to focus, but she smiled as he placed his forehead against hers. She sat for a moment, just taking it all in, however she couldn't make her hips stop moving. "I'm sorry love," she whispered, she didn't mean to make him crazy, but he did the same to her. Making her lose her mind with worry when he was hurt or making her feel this tranquility just spending time with him. "I think you're making me crazy in return," she giggled, feeling a little giddy from it all. Oh how she loved her daemon, loved how he felt, and how she could feel him still pulsate ever so slightly within her. "So crazy that I want more of you," she said in a soft plea.

Buffy smiled at his words, but she couldn't hold back a small groan as he pulled out. She felt nervous, mostly because he moved her around so easily, however as he pressed in to her she felt her body tense a little. Feeling herself well up, she shook her head, moving away from him. "Belial," she pleaded, turning around and placing a hand on either side of his face. She couldn't do it like that. It didn't feel right, even if she knew it was him, it scared her to not be able to see him. Buffy didn't know why, she just knew that she needed to be able to look at his face. "I ... I ..." she pleaded. She spread her legs, letting him know she wasn't denying him to be with her, but being bent over like that didn't trigger the same type of intimacy that she needed. Her lower lip was quivering, she was scared, but not of him. More of not seeing him. "I want to look at you," she pleaded in a broken voice.

She felt herself well up as he started apologizing. She hadn't done this to make him feel guilty, but she couldn't just go along with something that scared her. Buffy saw Baal as a place of safety, a person she could confide in, so if she had just gone through with it, she feared it would have tarnished something. She let him wrap her arm around him, pressing herself closer to him as he wrapped an arm around her. The safety of his arms was always something that brought her joy. "It's alright ... But I couldn't face away from you like that," she whispered, fighting so hard to not cry. Perhaps the moment was already ruined, but crying would only make it worse. Squeezing her eyes tightly together she hoped it would help with the water slowly building. For each kiss she felt her body relax more, her hand moving slowly against his skin before she felt his lips against hers. Returning the kiss felt the same, and in a way she felt relieved. She had been so scared of not being able to look at him, that she feared her body would reject him. However that was not the case. "I love you, and not seeing you when we're connected hurts me," she whispered, trying to explain how it felt. Perhaps it had been different for him because he could see her, or maybe to him it didn't matter as long as it was her. But she had been terrified ever since getting ripped away from him to never look at him again. Never see his face in bliss when he moved against her. "And I'm sorry too; I didn't mean to put any blame on you," she said, looking at his eyes as she still tried fighting her tears.