Page 148 of Sidhe
Nathan wasn’t oblivious to how his voice trailed a little on that, the humor of the moment lost. He didn’t want to get all serious now, but it was sort of crazy how they had managed to win. He didn’t want to lose this feeling of safety and peace. He didn’t want to lose Sasha.
Ever.
“I’m right here, Nate,” Sasha said softly, comfortingly, making Nathan wonder if he had mumbled some of that internal monologue out loud.
“I know,” Nathan whispered back, lips still pressed into Sasha hair, arms tight around him. “Can’t deny I felt you pretty distinctly a few minutes ago, I just…don’t want anything to change that. There have been way too many people and circumstances trying to take you away from me this past year. I’m never gonna let that happen.”
“Neither am I,” Sasha said.
Nathan squeezed his incubus against him, took a breath. “Okay, I think I might be capable of walking now,” he said with a touch of humor again. “Don’t suppose you’d let a guy up so he can shimmy the rest of the way out of these gross clothes? I need to take a piss too, and, uhh…you’re sorta leaning on my bladder.”
Sasha snorted. “Jeez. So demanding,” he teased, but of course also complied, rolling away and sitting up languidly with a long stretch. Nathan would be happy the rest of his life if every day began with that sight—his rumpled incubus, naked and arching his back.
Nathan still wondered sometimes when it was that his life changed so much that this beautiful man became everything he wanted, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Sitting up but not yet heading to the bathroom, Nathan let his hand trace lazy designs over Sasha’s skin, and Sasha stared back at him with a hazy gaze. “I want to…tell you something, but I don’t want it to ruin this,” Nathan said, half-regretting even bringing this up.
“What is it?” Sasha asked, brow furrowing.
“It’s just…I want you so much. To be with you. I want that. And nothing’s keeping us from that anymore, which is…it’sgreat, the biggest relief, I couldn’t be happier. But…” Nathan bit his lip, hating that there had to be a ‘but’.
“But you don’t want me to turn you yet,” Sasha said without further prompting.
Nathan swallowed the guilt that had been sitting in his throat. “Shit. You’re too smart for me sometimes, you know that? It’s not that I don’t want you toeventually.”
“Nathan,” Sasha laughed, rolling onto his side so they were facing each other. “It’s okay, I get it. You accepted being an incubus so easily before, but because you had to, because at the time it seemed like the only way for us to be together. That’s nottrue anymore. We don’t have to rush. I want you to be ready. The apocalypse, everything with Malak, it screwed it all up, forced so many things. I don’t want you to ever feel forced into being with me. When you’re ready, I’ll still be here. No matter how long it takes.” Sasha smiled with fondness, only love in his expression, one of his hands seeking out Nathan’s between them.
“Good,” Nathan huffed relief, inching closer to Sasha, their breath mingling as their faces neared, “I was just…scared you’d take it wrong. Should’ve known better. But just to drive home how much Iwillwant it when I’m ready,” Nathan gripped Sasha’s hand tightly, “and don’t get all girly over this or anything, but…” He couldn’t say any more, couldn’t actually say it, whatever words might have come to him, so he just did what he had intended to do from the moment they came upstairs, from the moment the war ended.
He slipped his necklace over his head, removed his father’s wedding ring from the chain, and fit it onto the ring-finger of Sasha’s left hand.
Well, hetried. Sasha still being somewhat transformed and having claws instead of actual fingers got the ring stuck on the first taloned knuckle.
“God damn it,” Nathan grumbled, flicking his eyes up at Sasha with a scowl, “way to ruin the moment, man.”
Laughter spilled from Sasha’s lips, his face bright, happy, totally uncaring of this hiccup when the sentiment was the same. Nathan could feel the sappy moment coming—therest of itcoming—and just wanted it over so they could get back to the easier, fun part of celebrating.
Sasha understood though, he got it, gotNathan, and although the incubus took the time to transform human fully to help slide the ring the rest of the way on, he didn’t say any of the sappy things waiting on his tongue.
Instead he smirked. “For the record? I totally proposed first.”
“What? Now hang on a minute. Claiming me as your mate so doesn’t count. And this isn’t a…aproposal,” Nathan fumbled. “It’s just, ya know…a promise. So other dudes and chicks don’t hit on you when we’re in bars or whatever.”
“Nathan,” Sasha rolled his eyes, “a proposal is a promise. What’s it matter what we call it? The day I do initiate you, my side is going to demand a ceremony.”
“You mean like a wedding?” Nathan sputtered. “Can’t we just skip all that? We know what we want, what we have. I just wanted to give you the ring so…so you’d know I’m not going anywhere.”
Another laugh escaped Sasha’s lips as he reached up with the hand now sporting a ring of white gold and brushed the slightly longer strands of hair from Nathan’s forehead. “I know you’re not going anywhere. I love this ring. Always have. And I know you love it too. I can barely believe you’d actually part with it to give it to me. But you’re going to have to deal with some sap occasionally. Shi, at the very least, won’t let you get away with otherwise, trust me.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Nathan finally gave in. “Will you just let me get back to doing naughty things to you already?”
The incubus shook his head in amusement. He rolled onto his back again, tugging at Nathan’s neck to get the message across that he was definitely on board with a return to the naughty. It was more than enough to assure Nathan that yes, this was the person he wanted to spend every day of his life with.
“Wade made me realize something, you know,” Nathan said. “She read that you would save me. And sure, making that deal with Malak got me out of the Veil, but I don’t think that’s what she meant. How you really saved me…was from something else entirely. And I love you so much for that, baby.”
Sasha’s eyes glittered at him. “I love you too.”
They kissed briefly, but Nathan still had to pee. “One sec,” he said, getting to his knees, only to lean down and kiss Sasha once more. “But don’t even think of going anywhere, coz I am comingright back.”
