[Fiction] Anniversary [Mature]

[z-Carver]

There were moments in life that had to be treasured and coveted. The birth of relationships were one of these moments, and novas were just as prone to the celebrations of these dates. The two novas flying low over the Rockies were no exception, even if this anniversary was not one usually commemorated. Very few people commenorated the day that they had first had sex.

,,

The roc’s wings hadn’t beaten often once Mythic had found the right height, and now all Carver could hear was the whistle of the wind and the sounds of life from her lover. Inside her head, though, there was quite a bit more noise.

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*… then from behind again with me?* Jael asked, her voice almost begging.

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*We’ve created about six days of sexcapades, and we’re only her for four,* Willa chuckled, though she didn’t sound bothered by the prospect.

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*We’ll just have to work very, very hard at it,* Mythic said solemnly, his somber mental tones belied by some of his voices’ horny glee.

,,

Carver giggled and burrowed under is feathers, rubbing her hand against his skin. She’s had sex with him countless times, but the dirty talk on the way over has made her more than ready to have him again. Too bad they both made the other a promise they’d set up the camp before the sex. Otherwise we wouldn’t get it set up at all, Carver reminded herself.

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*You still bummed by that?* Mythic asked, twisting his head around slightly so that one massive eye can see her.

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Carver let a little of her pout, a little of her self-deprecating humor and a good bit of her arousal float down the link to him. *What do you think?*

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*I think that I’m going to have to have a very special, very dark enticement for you to get the camp ready,* Mythic chuckled. But Carver can hear some of those voices agreeing with her. Still, he was right; set up the tent and the camp, and then have the rest of the time to have fun.

,,

The powerful wings beat the air once and the head came up as the angle of the massive body changed. Carver took a more powerful grip on the feathers, knowing that no matter what, Harry wouldn’t let her fall. She still wanted to help him as much as possible.

,,

The roc landed in the clearing and quickly began to shrink. Carver held onto his feathers until they became cloth under her fingers and her feet thumped onto the ground. “Great ride, honey,” she murmured, leaning forward over the pack on his back to kiss him on the neck.

,,

“It’s nothing compared to the ride I'll give you after we’ve set up the tent,” Harry murmured, twisting around to kiss her.

,,

“Yes, my love,” Carver whispered, letting her warm breath play over his lips. When she sees the desire darken his eyes, she stepped away from him and pulled the pack off her shoulders. They did promise to set up camp first, afterall.

[Harold 'Mythic' Anderson]

The air is crisp, the sky is clear, and she wants him – nothing ever gets better than this. It took a true feat of willpower for Harold not to toss aside his pack and take Carver right there on the ground. She was keeping one side of the agreement and it was up to him to keep the other. Oh, but the things he’d do to her… no, going to do, they have days to fill with their creativity.

Refocusing back on the present, Harold swung his pack onto the ground and pulled out the smaller bag holding the tent. Theoretically, they didn’t need it – between her instincts and his forms, they could easily find some sort of cave or dug out. But an anniversary like this deserved some elements of comfort. And while Mom and Dad had a cabin, four days without unintended surprises was their goal. “Honey,” he smiled at her while kicking an errant stick away before rolling out the tarp, “Could you get us some firewood while I stake the tent?” That and asking to use the cabin meant making it really clear what the young couple was doing in their free time.

“Sure,” Carver grinned back at him and turned around to disappear into the trees, “The sooner we’re set up the better.” God, she looks so damn sexy, especially when she’s excited and when she’s moving like that. Though there’s another reason why she should get the wood – it’ll let her scout the area. Part of him had the urge to do the same, but it was a stronger need for her and dividing up tasks let them get set up more quickly.

The tent followed more of a pre-Nova Age design using heavy plastic stakes, collapsible poles made of a flexible composite, and the ever-present waterproof but breathable fabric of the rain fly and the tent itself. Would they even sleep during the trip? Once the shelter had taken shape, he tossed the two packs into the tent before pulling out another rolled up bundle. The inflatable mattress wasn’t really that necessary either but it was definitely welcomed.

With their artificial nest in place, Harold zipped the tent closed and turned to look over the clearing. Where did the fire ring come from, there weren’t any rocks here before… “Hey,” Carver purred softly into his ear while crouching behind him, “I got the wood… and I see the tent is up…”

Oh God, how could anyone be so lucky to have someone as exciting and beautiful as her? “Yes it is,” Harold murmured in return, just enjoying the closeness of her body and voice without turning around, “And I see you got the rocks for the ring without me even seeing it… I think this is starting to look like a camp that’s been set up…”

[z-Carver]

The dark woods covered her quickly, and Carver made full use of the shadows to creep around. She wasn’t too worried about other people – she and Harry were way off the beaten path – but her paranoia demanded that she check anyway. They were a long way from back-up, and Carver didn’t want a repeat of what had happened last time she and Harry had gone to the wilderness to get away. After all, if they had gotten up here, there was no reason another nova couldn’t.

Carver was quickly satisfied that they were alone; just to be sure, she carved a few quick decorations on downed logs and rocks so that she had eyes away from camp. Then she began to secure firewood, quickly cutting up a fallen log that was suspended in the air by another tree and was quite dry. She carried the pieces down to camp and cut them up, moving quickly and quietly. Harry was focused on getting the rest of camp ready, and she was able to make good time.

A small gully framed one side of their campsite, and at the bottom, Carver found some water-rounded stone which were perfect for a campfire. Using her supernatural silence, she tossed up several rocks up onto the edge of the campsite, then scaled the side of the gully and quickly set up the fire ring.

Her timing was impeccable; Harry was just finishing up the tent. With a mischievous grin, she slipped behind her love and snaked her arms around his waist. “Hey,” Carver purred softly into his ear while crouching behind him, “I got the wood… and I see the tent is up…”

“Yes it is,” Harry murmured in return, just enjoying the closeness of her body and voice without turning around, “And I see you got the rocks for the ring without me even seeing it… I think this is starting to look like a camp that’s been set up…”

“I completely agree,” Carver grinned, sliding her hands under his shirt and running her fingers over his muscles. She shifted a little closer to him and kissed the back of his neck, enjoying the deep sigh that escaped his chest. His hands reached back to rub her bare knees, and despite their eagerness, Carver found herself enjoying this simple touching. Slowly, the affectionate touches became more and more intimate and eager, and with a smile and a kiss, she drew her blonde lover into the privacy of their tent.

* * *

Carver lay on her side, arms still curled around Harry’s neck, listening to his breathing slow down and become normal. She enjoyed these moments of tenderness after sex, sometimes as much as the sex itself, when his hands would softly caress her skin, and they didn’t even need the link to talk to one another. She also took pleasure from her own calming body, feeling the endorphins course through her veins and leave her warm and heady with ecstasy. But most important to the stripe-haired nova was the little smile that Harry wore. It was content and blissful, and Carver loved that she had put that on his face.

“You are wonderful,” Harry murmured, breaking the silence. “I love you so much, Carver.”

“And I love you, Harry,” she whispered back, kissing him.

The little smile that his words had put on her face remained even when he said, “We should get out of the tent for a while.”

“Yep,” Carver agreed, kissing him yet again. “And I saw something I wanted to show you, anyway.”

“Oh?” Harry asked, grinning eagerly. “Is it more interesting than what I’ve already seen on this trip… in the tent, that is…”

Carver laughed and shook her head. “It’s at least marginally interesting, though I don’t know if it can compare of some of the views you’ve gotten in here.”

“I’m sure it can’t,” Harry replied with another kiss, “but let’s see it anyway.”

When their eufiber was in place, Carver led Mythic away from the camp and down into the gully. The dried up stream bed that she had gotten the stones from ended a few hundred feet from camp, dropping away down a short cliff which became a steep slope after fifty feet. Water marks on the stone showed that during wet seasons, this gully produced a small waterfall, but the view that they gained by stepping near the sudden drop-off was amazing. High mountains jutted proudly into the sky around a valley that held a small, twisting river. The sun was further down on the horizon than when Carver had seen it, and now the area was bathed in the golden rays of late afternoon, offering deep shadows where the trees gathered or rocks poked out just right.

“Wanna fly or climb down to the valley, and explore a little?” Carver asked, squeezing his hand. “I thought I saw a bear down there earlier; how cool would that be to see one in the wild?”

[Harold 'Mythic' Anderson]

The land hadn’t changed much in the last year but it was still breathtaking. How does she always find a way to make something so amazing look even more incredible? “That sounds like a great idea,” Harold grinned at Carver with excitement in his blue eyes, “And lucky for us, we probably can’t hurt by it.” But how to get down into valley… climbing might take too long and but they were flying to much earlier… An old image popped into his mind and his voice lowered just a hair, “Do you trust me?”

“Of course,” Carver answered immediately and an excited grin appeared instantly on her face. That question always signaled something new, inspired, and certainly pleasing on some level.

Thick but short, dark hair grew rapidly across pale skin as limbs lengthened and shoulders filled out until an oversized simian Mythic was standing next to Carver. King Kong had just been on a few days ago and movies always did serve as a good inspiration… but they didn’t need a creature quite that big. “Hold on,” he rumbled in a deep voice, gently but firmly wrapping an enlarged hand around her hips before he stepped over the cliff’s edge.

The thick digits of Mythic’s form dug into the sheer face of the cliff, fingers and toes alike finding purchase or creating it where none could be found, and his hands and feet worked equally to control their descent. Carver’s gleeful laughter filled the air while her lover scrambled down the cliff face like a circus tumbler and her body was passed carefully but deftly between his hands and feet as they became free.

When the slope loomed just below them, Mythic shoved away from the cliff and fell onto the tangled vines creeping over the eroded and stained rocks. He rolled twice with a grace found only with novas and acrobats, bleeding off the excess energy of the short fall with his entire body – except for one limb. In a feat capable only by a shapeshifter, the leg holding Carver was kept away from the tumbling mass of dark hair and muscle, staying impossibly isolated and upright from the ground.

Once Mythic had settled onto his back, the tumble turned into a rapid slide down the smooth rocks and he brought Carver up to sit in the nook of his shoulder. Dark and striped hair alike rippled in the rushing air as they slid down the slope, leaving a trail of dust, pebbles, and excited cries behind them. Finally, their descent slows to a halt as the ground beneath them leveled out and the trees closed in. “We have got to do that again,” she giggled while turning to face him, “Not right now, but at least one more time before we leave.”

“Definitely,” Mythic agreed in that deep voice, the shared excitement clearly ringing through, “But for now…” The thick and dark hair retreated and faded away even as his voice trailed off, and his body began to slowly implode into a size much closer to that of a human. But instead of blonde hair and pale skin returning, both Mythic’s flesh and hair took on a brownish green quality that almost disappeared into the lush forest scenery. His body was taller and leaner than its default state, but Carver could still easily recognize her lover in it, “Why don’t we go sneak up on that bear?”

[z-Carver]

My wonderful, inventive boyfriend, Carver thought as Harry climbed and tumbled down the rock face, taking her on a ride. She hadn’t had anything like this since the last time Jager took her tumbling across Chicago. A false memory flared of Jager dropping her several dozen stories, but Carver shoved it away. She knew it wasn’t real, and she shoved it away with all the other memories that Arachne had created to twist her.

,,

And then Harry once again showed his innovation with his clever system of keeping her high in the air. Carver giggled and whooped as Harry rolled and tumbled their way down the slope. At the bottom, Carver found herself nestled against a black-furred shoulder. With a happy sigh, she let her head rest against those strange, thick muscles, her fingers sinking deep into black fur. It was still Harry, under all that muscle and fuzz, and Carver restrained the urge to kiss him. She’s not sure how he’ll react to that, seeing as he’s a big gorilla and they’ve not done anything in a true animal form.

,,

And he shifted again, and Carver was curled against a child of the woods, listening to his suggestion. My Harry has so many wondrous and magical forms. I am so lucky, she thought; his green eyes caught hers as he heard her thoughts. They were familiar thoughts, and she was easily able to set them aside for the excitement of bear-tipping.

,,

Her joyous laugh is swallowed up by her cloak of silence; her feet found purchase in the natural gravel noiselessly. Hand in hand with Harry, she began to head toward the last location of the bear. The river cutting through their valley is only fifteen feet wide, and doesn’t appear to be very deep; it’s perfect for a bear looking for fish, and their bear is no exception. They found him bent over the water a few hundred yards from where Carver had last seen him. *It’s a grizzly, isn’t it?* Carver asked, her frown coming clearly across the link.

,,

*A young one,* Harry agreed, peeking through the bush they were hiding behind. *He’s too small to be an adult.* At her look, he added, *I’ve been studying animals since my eruption.*

,,

*He doesn’t look that small,* Carver mumbled mentally, sizing up the animal.

,,

*Part of it is his fat reserves,* Harry pointed out. *He’s getting ready to hibernate.*

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*Cool,* Carver said as her smile slipped into predatory. *Do you see a really good way to do this?*

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Harry looked around the area and grinned as an idea came to him. *You can sneak up on him, right?*

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*Oh, yeah,* Carver laughed silently. *One bear is not a problem.*

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*I’m going high,* Harry said, pointing subtly up at the tree that hung over the river – and the intent bear.

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*Ok,* Carver agreed as she got a quick kiss. *Ready?*

,,

At Harry’s agreement, she slithered out of the bush, crawling quickly behind some rocks. They meandered down to the river, and Carver crept smoothly along behind them. At the edge of the river, she slid into the water and disappeared under the cool liquid.

,,

Mythic crept to the tree; a moment’s concentration gives him foot-long, graceful fingers with more joints a human hand. These nimble fingers easily find hand-holds in the straight trunk he’s trying to scale, allowing Mythic to climb quickly. Once he reached his branch, he reshaped his body so that he was more suited for four-limbed travel through the trees. It was the work of a few minutes to put himself in position above the bear.

,,

He started to ask Carver where she was, but then he saw her, crawling along the bottom of the river. *Ready?* he asked instead.

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*Yes. On three?*

,,

*One…*

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*Two…*

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*Three!*

,,

Mythic’s hands released the tree and he swung by his feet from the branch, his fingers slipping into thick, brown fur. Carver broke the surface of the water and ran a gentle hand down the thick, furred leg at the same time. Instantly, both of them felt the other’s awe as they touched a living, wild animal.

,,

The bear froze as he felt something strange touch him; with an agitated roar, he dashed away from them in an incredible burst of speed for something so large. At the edge of the water, he turned and looked back; when he saw he wasn’t being chased, he gave another irritated grumble and lumbered off into the woods at a more sedate pace.

,,

“That was amazing,” Carver whispered, turning back to the still upside-down Mythic. Stepping up to the only man she wanted, Carver kissed him, reveling in this new inverted kissing. “It’s too bad your legs aren’t longer,” she whispered as her fingers walked up his chest as high as they could reach. “That could be interesting…”

[Harold 'Mythic' Anderson]

Dashing through the forest, sharing the excitement of a stalking and then touching a wild animal… God, that just can’t be reproduced. The face of the creature-of-the-green form Mythic had taken turned into a sultry smile, somewhere between laziness and arousal, “Mmm… isn’t it convenient these legs can lengthen.” Yeah, sharing the wilderness was great, but sharing with each other… On cue, strong but lean legs begin to stretch out, turning his gentle kisses into a trail of affection that went lower and lower along Carver’s wet body. It always amazed him how her Eufiber melted away for him and how easily and eagerly her body responded to his touch. Of course, his did exactly the same for her, and this form was particularly interested in breeding…

*****

The packed dirt and the long undergrowth formed a boundary between the pebbly shoreline of the river and the treeline of the surrounding forest. Within that green band, Carver and Mythic laid quietly together, their bodies quietly rising and falling in time together as they caught their breath. There was still some moisture left on her skin, now mingled with the slick perspiration of their coupling, but she still felt so smooth against his body when she snuggled a little closer, “That thing when we both got on the ground… you have got to remember how to do that again.” There was no need to ask twice; she had cried so loud the last bit of rational thought in his mind had gotten worried someone would’ve heard it on the other side of the hills.

It didn’t take much for Mythic to make the sultry grin come back to his face – wow, this form really did have some rabbit elements to it – and he tucked an arm beneath himself to look more directly at Carver, “I promise.” His lips snuck another kiss from hers without any thought of his own – oh yeah, they would never get anything done if he was always like this – and he nudged her with a gentle hand, “It’s going to get dark soon, honey…” She looked at him with a hint of confusion – like the night ever stopped them before – and he pressed against her nude body once more, “We still need to look at what’s around us and make a fire… well, two fires.”

The sun slowly dipped behind the lightly dusted peaks of the surrounding mountains by the time the young couple had finished a small circuit through the valley. There wasn’t nearly enough time left in the day to look at it all and they did need to have something else to explore in the coming days. Instead of stalking more creatures, the two novas glided through the forest quietly, taking in the lush and unique landscape while letting their minds mingle and converse. Oddly, the scenery only took up a small portion of their linked thoughts, their silent interaction filled with conversations ranging from bizarre ideas to the most mundane things of their shared lives.

*… with a deep red paint on the walls,* Carver grinned excitedly at Mythic as their small clearing came into view once more. The air within the trees was almost pitch black and pale moonlight illuminating the clearing was practically a beacon, but both novas had adapted well to the darkness. And even if one couldn’t see, there was more than enough trust in the other to guide the way.

Mythic nodded carefully with a small smile at Carver’s suggestion as he mindlessly sidestepped a particularly thick and exposed root, *I think that sounds great, but don’t we need something heavier for the windows? I don’t know if the light cotton will do anything more than make the room look even more red.* Once into the clearing, he grabbed the wisely pre-gathered wood and began to form a crude pyramid within the fire ring.

A musical chuckle filled the peaceful night air as Carver ducked her head into the tent, *Of course, babe, but that’s why we’d put heavier drapes over the light cotton. One is for decoration and the other is practical.* Okay, that makes a lot more sense – what kind of guy would ever know that? She came back out with a small, plastic canister and it made a rattling sound when she shook it, *Where’s the birch bark, I’ve got the matches right here…*

Joints popped and muscles stretched once more and a red hue started to glow softly from a few cracks in Mythic’s now blackened skin and dark eyes. “I got it,” he grinned with a deep and sinister voice before letting out a slow breath that was trailed by a small but quick line of fire from his lips. The smaller twigs tucked in the middle of the pyramid caught flame instantly and the thicker pieces of wood started to ignite on their own. There, perfect. With the fire already beginning to throw embers into the air, dark skin and eyes were traded for pale skin and blue eyes and Harold smiled warmly at Carver, “So, whatcha think about some s’mores?”

[z-Carver]

“S’mores? What about the real food, the heavy-ass stuff we carried in?” Carver laughed, stepping over to the food tepee. Undoing the cord, she lowered the bag and dug out some of the provisions, opting for three packs of hotdogs from the insulated pack and the bread from another. Last, she pulled out the s’mores makings, glad that they had brought plenty of the marshmallow, graham cracker and chocolate ingredients.

“Ok,” Harry chuckled, “if you’re going to make me eat real food, too, I guess I can.”

“Fun food after the real food,” Carver gently chided, setting the still-packaged food down on a towel while she grabbed a green branch about as round as her thumb and popped her claws. It was literally thirty seconds worth of work to sharpen the four branches. She handed one to Mythic with a faux bow; with a returned bow he took it from her and skewed a hotdog with it.

“Are hotdogs really food, though?” Harry asked her in a teasing voice, even as he lowered the meat over the flames. “I mean, aren’t they pseudo-food?”

“Close enough,” Carver chuckled as she grabbed a blanket and tucked it around both of them. As she extended her own meat-loaded stick over the flame, she said, “You seem good at this camping thing. Did you go with your family a lot?”

"A few times,” Harry said, leaning lightly against her. “Mom and Dad didn't have the cabin right away so we had to make due with tents and stuff for a few years. Sometimes it sucked to be in a sleeping bag when it was cold, but I think it might be a lot cozier to share one."

“Oh, I know it would be,” Carver grinned, leaning over to kiss him lightly. It could have built from there, and they both knew it, but more important was feeding Harry so that he could keep his energy up. *Energy you’ll need for later,* she reminds him with a wink and a smile.

He grinned back and muttered, “Cook, damn you, cook!” as he shook the stick a little.

Carver giggled, resting her head on his shoulder. “It will cook honey, no worries. Just stick it a little lower in the fire.”

“No, that will give it that black crust,” Harry replied.

“That’s the best part of the hotdog!” Carver protested, and the conversation devolved into a teasing banter that was only ended by the s’mores. As Carver was manipulating the marshmallow off her stick, she noticed that the hot treat didn’t burn her skin. A sudden idea came to her, and she slid her eufiber back from her cleavage. She rubbed the still-hot marshmallow against her skin, pressed a square of chocolate to the mess and added a graham cracker.

“What are you doing?” Harry asked, caught between curiosity and attempting not to laugh at her.

“Making you a special s’more,” Carver said, trying not to blush. She leaned back, propping herself up on her elbows and extending her legs. In part, it was seduction; in part, it was to keep the gooey stuff from flowing down her body. “Don’t you want your treat?”

“Oh, yes, I do,” Harry murmured, abandoning his food and crawling toward her. “But that stuff is impossible to get off skin.”

“Impossible for a human tongue,” she said coyly. When Harry’s skin began to ripple and change, she gave him a sultry chuckle of approval that only encouraged him…

* * *

The lovers crawled out of their tent as the sky began to lighten. Still as naked as they had been all night, they wrapped one of their blankets around themselves and cuddled together, silently watching the sun rise. “Wow,” Carver finally said after the last curve of the day-star was above the mountains. “You don’t get to see that in New York.”

“Not like that,” Harry quietly agreed, turning her head for a gentle kiss. “Good morning, Jael Willa Carver.”

“Good morning, Harold Mythic Anderson,” Carver murmured, returning the kiss happily. “Do you need breakfast?”

“Yes, please,” Harry said, a touch bashful. “I love your breakfasts.”

“And I love making them for you,” Carver murmured, pulling her eufiber on. “Let me get it started, and we can wash up while it slow-cooks, ok?”

“Sure, I’ll get the fire going again,” Harry said, his eufiber covering him as he reached for more logs.

Before long, a fire was going, and a large dutch oven sat next to the fire, steaming slightly. “There,” Carver said. “I’ll add some bacon when we get back, but for now, we can clean up a bit.”

With a nod, Harry assumed his winged Harry form and flew them down to the point where the river flattened and broadened into a lake. The bear was there when they landed, but after sniffing the air, he ran away with a grumble. Laughing, the couple quickly cleaned away sweat and fluids, then dirtied each other again, and cleaned up again. They might have done this again, but Carver noted that breakfast would burn if they played too much longer. They could have more sex later, but breakfast couldn’t be replaced so easily out here. Sad, they went back to their campsite, but their mood improved when they found Carver’s oatmeal had cooked to perfection. Once she glazed it with honey, and cooked up the bacon for the side, the two novas licked the pan clean of every chunk of dried apple, pear, raison and oat.

“God, you’re an amazing cook,” Harry murmured, licking a little honey off his fingers.

“Thanks,” Carver said, happy to see him so satisfied. “Now what?”

“Remember when the lake, when I was between your legs underwater?” Harry asked, his eyes darkening with desire as he talked. At Carver’s nod, he said, “I think I saw a cave, underwater. Would you like to check it out?”

“Sure!” Carver beamed happily, taking his hand. “That sounds cool!”

[Harold 'Mythic' Anderson]

Mmmm… camping breakfast… Carver’s breakfast… this is the best vacation ever and the first twenty four hours aren’t even over. And she is so damn sexy when she bends to reach the pot and her breath catches the same way as when she’s just about to…

Stop that! Harold shook away the brief reverie and shared his lover’s enthusiasm, “Great! I’ll get us back down there in just a second.” If he didn’t try to take her back into the tent first… or to just try lying down on the bare ground… oh God, she moved in months ago and she’s still so damn irresistible!

Familiar brown wings sprung to life and Mythic wrapped a light but secure arm around Carver’s waist, bringing her close like she belonged there. She does, really… they belong together. For the third time in that day, broad wings tore against the mountain air and lifted the two novas into the sky.

And this… this was something they could just do for forever. He could feel her strong hands and arms slide tightly against his body, reaching for familiar and secure contours to hold. And it was impossible for him to miss hearing her deeply breathe in his scent while settling her head against his shoulder – it’s such a little thing, the way she hangs on, but it’s just so special, so unique, so her…

Unlike the lazy arc they took earlier in the morning, Mythic pulled his wings in tight and let gravity drag them quickly into the valley below. Feathery brown hair and striped hair alike whipped in the rushing air, joined by the sudden and shared laughter of the couple as the valley and the lake rushed towards them. Sure, it was possible to do this in New York, even out in the harbor, but this just seems so special. He turned to look at flashing and excited eyes, “Ready?”

Carver’s arms closed a little tighter around Mythic but her grin nearly took her entire face, “Yep!” Wings suddenly snapped back out and held firm with quantum enhancement and quantum fueled muscles. Their freefall changed into a rapidly curving parabola, the bottom of their arc ending less than a foot from the surface of the water before they rose back into the air at a greatly reduced speed.

But before they can get more than ten feet above the water, the two novas pushed off each other and tumbled through the air. Carver twisted and flipped forward with the grace of an acrobat as she arced downwards, her Eufiber peeling away from her skin to form a collar just before she finished her dive into the cool water. At the same time, wings and feathers melted back into Mythic’s body, replaced by soft scales, broad and webbed digits, and saucer like eyes as gravity reclaimed him and took him into the lake.

Okay, it’s not too murky, shouldn’t be a problem to find the right direction. Mythic sculled through the water like he was apart of it, easily sliding close to Carver before she had her bearings. She’s… it’s not a surprise or something she’s naked, private swimming always meant her being naked, but she just looked… *Wow.*

Confused, Carver turned to look at Mythic through the slightly cloudy water and blushed slightly when she saw his stare and felt the raw emotion coming through their link, *What, sweetie?*

Maybe it’s the light or the water, but… *Sorry,* Mythic smiled sheepishly and hungrily at her, *It’s the first time I’ve seen you like this… and you just look so damn sexy!* All those wonderful curves, that hair, and her hips are moving just like they do when… Swim, damnit! Hoping his arousal wasn’t too obvious yet, he sculled towards where he thought the cave was while turning to watch his lover, *Hey, uh, I think that cave is over this way…*

Never darting too much further ahead of her, Mythic guided Carver through the lake with that still smoldering grin. Somehow, he managed to keep himself just at the edge of contact that would ensure their mutual desires taking over as they swam towards the rockier section of the lake. Why does she always grin that way when there was something else needed to be done? However, a nigh sheer wall of rock slowly comes into view in front of them, forcing him to slip closer to her while guiding them both down towards the cave entrance.

Just a little further… there’ll be plenty of time to give in afterwards, just keep swimming… The dimmed and diffused sunlight only extended a short distance into the underwater cave, making both novas rely upon their own talents. But how far does it go… Once the faint light disappeared behind them, both Mythic and Carver can see another dull glow ahead of them, barely visible in the darkness.

As the light got closer, a webbed hand brushed errantly against a smooth hip… followed by a gentle arm that lightly touched a scaly side… and then two bodies turned to press together lightly when the glow appeared above them. *Now this is nice,* Carver grinned at him with strobing eyes as they drew closer, *A private little place for us to share.*

With a lazy kick, Mythic sent both of their bodies drifting upwards in the cave while giving in to the urge to tug her close, *Sort of our little shared secret for the trip; something only for us, right?* Both of their heads broke through the surface of the water to reach air instead of a rough and rocky cave ceiling, but his focus was on her eyes and the collar around her neck. *It can’t be your turn, Jael,* he grinned, tugging gently at the shaped Eufiber around that perfect neck, *Unless you’re saying you want to try something different…* Jael wearing a collar? Never.

The other webbed hand stayed just at the water’s surface, stretching over the soft swell of Carver’s body as she sucked in a sudden breath before letting out a throaty laugh, “I don’t know about…” Wait, why did that sound so weird?

Both novas stopped for a moment and looked up at their surroundings, finally appreciating the dim light filling the air around them, and even when they whispered in amazement together the echo of their voices filled the void, “Whoa…”

[z-Carver]

The whole swim had been an exercise in building tension for Carver, and now as she was pressed to her lover while drifting to the surface of the water. Her hands explored his new body, finding the shape to be the same but the texture new. The soft scales were slick in the water, bringing back memories of long, hot showers and soap-covered bodies. Gills rippled over his sides, and Carver let her fingers tickle the openings, delighting in the shiver that rippled through Harry.

,,

Feeling the gentle tug on the collar made her body tighten suddenly. If she wasn’t already pressed to him, she would have pulled herself to him, holding him close. As she heard her name over the link, Jael leapt forward to answer. That answer was cut short by those webbed fingers trailing over her body. The fingers were strong and familiar, but the webbing was a new sensation that added a new dimension to the tactile sensation. “I don’t know about that…” Jael started, then stopped as the cavern echoed around them.

,,

“Whoa…” she breathed, temporarily combining into Carver so that all aspects of her could stare around in awe. The cavern arched high over their head like a cathedral, amplifying and creating the echoes they had heard. A thin fissure in the rock let a bit of light in, which found and refracted off anything reflective. And the stone walls had quite a bit of reflective matter in them, creating a soft, dazzling light that played over everything.

,,

“Wanna explore?” Carver asked Harry, her flashing eyes catching his as she smiled at him.

,,

“I’d rather explore you,” Harry murmured, leaning forward to kiss her. Carver grinned and wrapped her legs around him, holding him even closer. He’s wet and slick between her body and she kissed him again, enjoying the cool, smooth feel of his scaled skin. At first she thought that they were going to have some fun in the water, but Harry swam over to a ledge, lifting her out of the water and setting her on the edge. Moving to the side, he pushed himself up onto the ledge next to her and turned to her.

,,

She was expecting the fish-man to fade, but Carver was startled by the form he choose. His face settled into lines of super-human beauty as his eyes began to glow a soft red color. Strange red markings cover his skin, both exotically beautiful and deeply disturbing. His blonde hair had hints of red and black as he pushed her onto her back with a gentle hand. “Jael,” he murmured in a voice as soft as velvet. “It’s Jael’s turn.”

,,

Carver smiled and made the internal change necessary to allow her darker self to be in charge. There was a playful smirk on her face as Carver opened her eyes and looked at him as Jael. His finger with a black nail slipped under her collar, and Jael started to ease it away from her body. “Leave it,” he growled, dipping his head to kiss her shoulder. “It suits you so well, Jael.”

,,

Her eyes flashed angrily as the collar rolled away from her skin; in answer, Mythic simply said, “Collar on, love. We do this my way. And my way includes a taste of my fiery blood for you, should you cooperate.” He nodded when the flicker of interest danced through her eyes, and added, “And I’ll reward you sexually as well for compliance. But the collar is the first step.”

,,

Jael scowled at him angrily; then his hand slid down her body, his fingers finding warm, wet skin, uncooled by the water from which they had just crawled. Jael let a little moan slip loose, and the fingers sank a little deeper into the heat of her body. “Collar on, or this will be a time of half-touches and unfulfilled longing.” The eyes burned into her as he murmured, “Today, I will possess you, you who hasn’t been touched by a firm hand, or bend by a strong will.”

,,

“We’ll see,” Jael murmured, raising a hand and reaching for him.

,,

A powerful hand caught her wrist and pressed it down to the rock. Jael blinked in surprise as Harry exerted enough force to hold her arm down. “My rules, my pretty,” he murmured, leaning over to kiss her. She turned her face away in anger, but the hand holding her wrist moved her arm until her own hand was pushing her face back. His lips were familiar – they were Harry – but there was a force and a darker presence behind them that Jael didn’t normally sense.

,,

Some of Harry’s darker forms were coming out to play. Jael had, to some degree, wanted this, but she hadn’t thought it would be like this. “This is a game,” those hot, red lips spoke, as if answering her thoughts. “Say no whenever you wish. But if you say no, then there will be no fun. Long have you pushed both Willa and us to your tastes. Today, you will return the favor.” The glowing eyes studied her gray ones; warm fingers stroke her sensitive flesh again. “Are you saying to stop?”

,,

Jael trembled, biting her lip as those fingers drove all thoughts from her head. “Don’t stop,” she moaned suddenly, arching her hips into his fingers.

,,

“Put the collar on,” Mythic said, his lips kissing down her neck to lick her collarbone. “Put it on, and I will show you such pleasures, Jael. Such things that you haven’t known because of your own fears and weaknesses.” With a smile, he murmured, “Not all that submits is weak, Jael.”

,,

The collar crept slowly up over her neck, slow and hesitant. The stroking fingers encouraged her to continue, until the thick band of leather was back in place. Then the fingers stopped; the hand that had been pleasuring her so well sought for and pinned her other wrist to the floor. With a mischievous smile, his eufiber extended tendrils off his wrists and began to work their way under her. Soon, a bit of padding is covering the stone floor, lending some comfort to Carver. But the comfort was mixed with Mythic’s own ideas for this encounter; thick, soft leather straps dotted the edges of the padding. Mythic took the wrists he was holding and moved them to the straps. The leather encased them and melded into one piece, holding her.

,,

“No attuning my eufiber or breaking them,” Mythic instructed, moving to kneel between her legs. His hands stroked himself, letting her see. When her foot rose to brush his skin, he caught it and moved it to a pair of straps on the padding, restraining that limb with her knee bent. He did the same to the other and smiled at her. Without touching her, he asked, “Should I continue, Jael?”

,,

“Yes,” she whispered, her flashing eyes uncertain.

,,

He comforted her with a loving smile, letting her see that despite all this play, his emotions for her were still clear. Still smiling, he bent over her body and kissed her hard, his fingers crawling up to tuck under her collar, holding her fast. Jael stiffened, but her beautiful lover kissed the tension away from her body with heated lips and a probing tongue. She quivered against her bonds as his teeth closed around her nipple. But this time, the pressure increased to the edge of pain, leaving Jael panting as the pleasurable torment rolled through her. When he lifted his head, the marks from his teeth were left in her flesh. “I’ve marked you,” he murmured, his breath warm on her ear. “I’ve claimed you.”

,,

Something in Jael clicked and her answer surprised herself, “Yes, you have. Please… mark me deep inside.”

,,

A throaty chuckle made her shiver. “All in good time, Jael, all in good time. But first…” The eufiber crawled up her face, covering her eyes. As she whimpered in near-panic, she felt him move away from her, leaving her sightless and bound. She started to pull against her bonds, but Mythic’s voice came, low and firm, “We’re still playing, Jael.”

,,

With effort, she relaxed; then he licked the inside of her thigh and she moaned from the surprise. Again and again his mouth and fingers touched her body until she was shaking without pause. Finally, his lips pressed to her body and remained; his fingers and tongue slipped into her body and began to pleasure her without pause.

,,

This dark Harry knew her as well as every part of Harry did; soon she was crying and thrashing with bliss. He moved away from her, and she started to lose the moment, but then something else pressed against her, reviving her orgasm and riding it mercilessly. Jael cried out loud, her shout echoed by Harry’s groan as he slid into her warm, pulsating body.

,,

She struggled to not tear through her bonds as the pleasure pounded into her again, make all the harder by the teeth pressing into her shoulder. It was the link that allowed him to stop the pain on the edge of pleasure, but that knowledge didn’t steal from the amazing sensation it caused in her body. As he moved in and out of her body, his teeth scored her flesh again and again, never breaking skin but leaving marks over her breasts, shoulders and stomach.

,,

It was the same for his thrusts; they pounded into her with more force than Harry had ever dared use before. Again, it skirted the edge of pleasure and pain, mixing the two together until another orgasm threatened her. She could feel his own trembling hesitation and knew he was close.

,,

The bonds snapped away from her, and she blinked in the sudden light. The eufiber rolled up to encompass him, and Mythic gasped, “You’ve been a good girl… now for your treat.” He rolled them over, and gave her access to him.

,,

Without hesitation, and Jael pierced his skin with a claw and bent to catch the bead of blood that rose on his chest. With a moan, she swallowed the blood, the pleasure of him pounding into her accented by the fiery taste of his blood. Her pleasure swirled up into her body, roaring through her and exploding out into a wave of heat and pleasure. She cried out and threw her head back, jerking before settling into stillness. Mythic groaned and froze, joining her in pleasure just seconds later.

,,

Together, the two lovers lay together, wrapped in their eufiber cocoon. And in that half-lit room, their world changed forever.

[Harold 'Mythic' Anderson]

Minutes rolled together into an hour until the young novas finally stirred again on the cavern floor. Jael had faded back into the aggregate Carver that was just cuddling atop of the immobile Harold as their bodies stayed twined together. That was… interesting. She had loved it, who ever knew Jael would like it like that… but was it an okay way of doing things? She’s okay, she isn’t hurt or something… but was it something good? Who knew what other forms, even darker forms, were waiting…

Stop that, this is a vacation, think about it later. Harold lifted his head off of the outspread Eufiber and nudged Carver with his nose, “Hey… no sleeping yet.” Like that was a problem, she was the one who slept a lot less. But this cave… wow… “C’mon, let’s take a look around,” he smiled at her, his eyes starting to shine, “We can make all of it our own little place, right?”

Lifting up her head, the grin on her face was as hungry as it was excited, “Right!” Well okay, she seems to be totally cool with things then… Reluctantly, the lovers slipped apart and stood up in the large cavern. Even with their Eufiber shaping into study clothing once more, their hands found one another and their bodies stayed close. She held up one of those slender yet so damn sexy hands and pointed towards a corner of the cavern, “Over there; it looks like a good place to start.”

“Cool,” he smiled to her just before both of them began to climb across the rough rock that formed the floor of the cavern beyond the smoothed out outlet into the water. The corner she had indicated before stretched further back than it seemed before, forming a short spur from the larger cavern. Quartz and other reflective material packed into the rocky grotto caught the faint light coming in through the fissure in the main cavern, leaving light and shadows everywhere.

Hey, what’s that… A shape caught Harold’s eye and he led Carver in a careful scramble over a crag, “I think I saw something over here.” Once over the rocks, the odd shape he had seen formed into a number of smaller shapes, all of them appearing to have an unnatural shape beneath their natural-looking surface. He reached down to grab one of the items with a round shape and he scratched away at its rocky surface, “This doesn’t look natural…”

[z-Carver]

Carver was a bit disturbed; all of this strangeness that had just occurred was bothering her a bit. Jael was a pleasant, sated ball in the back of her mind, thankfully, while Willa was quiet, as always. She could feel a bit of hesitance from Harry as well, and who would be a little hesitant after finding out that part of you enjoyed intercourse like that?

,,

But now was not the time to dwell on it; they had a cave to explore. Later, later… deal with it when they weren’t supposed to be having fun. So Carver scrambled to her feet with all of her misgivings carefully hidden and let Harry pull her along by their linked hands.

,,

The cave was wonderful. Carver had been on cave tours before, but it wasn’t the same; here there were no gangplanks, no walkways and no quartz lights burning away the dark. Instead, it was beautiful, almost sacrosanct. She scrambled over rocks, watching her feet while Harry held tight to her hand. What a wonder life would be, to just spend the rest of her days finding far away hidden places with Harry by her side…

,,

Get real, she laughed to herself, dispelling the aura of wonder and longing for a simpler way. You’d miss modern life too much to go native. Her eyes fell again on Harry as he looked around with excitement. But so long as he’s with me, I could be happy anywhere.

,,

But then she’s distracted by Harry’s find; her graceful fingers pick up a piece of her own. It’s almost round, but flat. It’s hard to tell if it really was a disk because of the buildup of hardened sediment, or if it was something else. With a grin, Carver said, “Let’s find out.” Deadly blades appeared on her fingers, and she carefully cut the object in half.

,,

The couple fell into a startled silence at what greeted them; finally, Carver ran a shaking finger over the metal that her claws had exposed. “Is that…?”

[Harold 'Mythic' Anderson]

Whoever said deadly claws aren’t useful for other stuff? Wait, what’s that on the inside… Harold leaned in closer to the crusted disk held between Carver’s fingers, getting a closer look at what she was touching, “I think it is…at least, it looks like… like gold.” How did this stuff get here? Why is it here? “I’m not really up on my precious metals or treasures, but it sure looks like it could be a crusted up gold coin,” he said quietly, bringing up his own quivering hand to touch the same edge she had before.

That wasn’t the only one, there’s more! Looking back to the rocky floor, he crouched down and picked out three more of the disk shaped objects like the one his lover had just sliced in half. Only four total? Why are there so few of them? A bit of confusion sat in Harold’s voice, but the excitement was all but drowning it out, “I don’t understand, it’s not like we’re out hunting for pirate treasure or something.”

Carver knelt down next to him, her legs and feet gracefully folding beneath her as she reached to touch some of the other odd but undisk-like objects, “Maybe people used to use this like a wishing well or it could be from an explorer.” Hunh, yeah, the Spanish and the French and a whole other bunch of people checked out the entire continent… assuming 5th grade history was right. The excitement was tangible in her voice too, both of them sharing broad grins as they looked at each other, “I wonder if this other stuff isn’t just rocks too…”

The built up giddiness catches them both and the cavern echoes with their shared giggle, followed by a short but passionate kiss. Harold felt his heart pick up speed and his body began to feel lighter and energized as they always did when their lips touch, but the sensation started to falter even as Carver’s tell-tale moan halted suddenly as their lips parted. Yeah… maybe it wasn’t a good idea to get real excited so soon after what happened earlier… or while in this cavern.

Shaking off their mutual false start, the young lovers started to pick at the scattered and encrusted fragments on the cavern floor. Successive slices and careful chipping produced more and more man-made object that had been covered with what had to be centuries of sediment. It wasn’t long until they had gathered what seemed to be four gold coins, several hunks of heavily corroded steel or iron, a few encrusted pieces of what they both thought were brass, and a rather out of place piece of flint. “I think you’re right about it being an explorer,” Harold murmured while setting down one of the pieces of brass before looking upwards, “But how did it…” Is that light up there?

Standing back up in a fluid motion, skin was traded for tough scales, fingertips and toes gained a specialized texture, and Mythic leapt towards the closest wall of the cavern, effortlessly sticking to the rocky surface. There’s definitely something up there – it’s just a matter of climbing up to it! Accustomed to his sudden changes, Carver stood more slowly and smiled up to her lover, “Whatcha have in mind, sweetie? All of the stuff is down here.”

A reptilian-esque smile spread across his face, “I think I can see where this stuff might’ve come from – a hole or a crack of something pretty far above us. Wanna go check it out?” He didn’t have to ask twice; Carver scooped up the choicest items they had found and dropped them into one of the broad pockets of her Eufiber-formed khaki shorts before stepping over to the same wall as Mythic. Her high-collared, black t-shirt rippled slightly as she made sure the Eufiber was secure before digging into the rocky wall with clawed hands and kicking footholds into existence with her hiking boot-clad feet.

Between their quantum powered conventional and unconventional climbing, it took them little time to scale their way to the de facto ceiling of the cavern. Oh yeah, there’s definitely a crack up there. With his earlier start, Mythic reached the small but weathered fissure before Carver. While it wasn’t a large hole, it was broad enough to fit a man’s shoulders – or maybe a falling man’s body – and it was definitely large enough for him to stick his head out and get a look around outside.

It looks… wow… Backing away from the fissure, Mythic looked back down to Carver with an enticing but awed grin, “You have got to see this for yourself…”

[z-Carver]

Carver grinned and scrambled up the side of rock, squeezing past Harry to see what he was talking about. Slipping past his body brought her breath and her blood rushing faster. Even with the memory of that strange and a little unsettling encounter couldn’t completely dissuade her from enjoying the pressure of him against her.

At first, it was the panorama that held her gaze, causing her eyes to widen in appreciation. Smoky purple mountains teased the billowing undersides of white clouds while the deep blue sky served as a velvet backdrop for both. The valley was a wealth of green plants and red rocks, with the blue stream meandering through both like a child’s giggle in a crowded room. And that held her enraptured until she heard the noise to the side.

A cruel beak twisted downward as a rapturous eye glares wearily at her. Dark feathers adorned the predator’s head, reminding her of Wakinyan for one unfortunate moment. But where Wakinyan was an unnatural creature, this was a niche creature who belonged in the nest of twigs. The eagle and its siblings stared at her coldly; one nervously flapped its wings. *They’re almost grown,* she thought to Harry, grinning broadly.

*Yeah,* Harry’s mind whispered back. *And beautiful.*

Carver started to agree when she saw something that answered some questions for her. Part of the nest had been built with weather-bleached bones; Carver could see the weathered remains of more materials bound into the nest, which had been built up over the years. *I think I see part of our explorer,* she told Harry. Moving slowly, she backed down into the hole so that her lover could slip back up to see what she was talking about.

*That’s cool,* Harry said, lowering himself back down. *Let’s not spook them; I’d hate to force them out of the nest early.*

Seeing the wild creatures again had triggered that sense of wonder. In a happy daze, the couple finished looking through the cavern, finding all its little secrets. By the time they emerged from the water in the valley again, it was getting late in the day. The falling sun turned Mythic’s golden hair to fire as he reverted to his normal shape. Carver swam to his side, smiling at his bobbing head. “Ready for dinner?” she asked.

“Yes!” he said empathically, then blushed as he softly added, “I’ve been getting a bit hungry.”

“Well no wonder, you haven’t had anything except breakfast,” Carver grinned. “Get us up to camp, and then we’ll fill your belly. How does that sound?”

Given how fast he got them up to camp, it must have sounded very good.

* * *

The foil packets have been emptied, the ham, potatoes and apples that had cooked in them long gone. Likewise, the bag of marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers were emptied and jammed into a garbage bag. Carver leaned against Harry, content. The earlier unease was still there, but it was only shown in the minute hesitation to take a hand or the heartbeat of time it took to completely relax against each other.

“So,” she said softly, watching the flames dance before their outstretched legs, “what are we doing to do with that stuff we found?”