Fight Me

There was a point in the struggle to keep her position over Artorias where everything else faded away. The stress that had been building and weighing heavily on her shoulders, the deep concern she held for her father and siblings, the fear that she wouldn't be able to maintain everything all at once the way she currently was and she would crumble when her family needed her most. It all slipped away, lost to the intense focus she put into the fight and using this struggle with her husband to vent the bottled up frustration, grief, anger, and loss. She was certain that this was by far not the healthiest way to handle losing someone like her mother, but she was already at a breaking point and this felt so much better than buckling under the strain.

They both put up a good fight, but in the end she eventually felt Artorias give in and felt his paws pull away, submitting to her as she continued to hold the grip she had around his throat and under her paws. As soon as she felt that struggle end, her body immediately melted into his, her claws relaxing and letting go of his shoulders to instead slip around the back of his neck and hold herself tight to him. The heady rush of adrenaline and relief filled her from her head to her toes, nearly taking her breath away. Just a moment of strength and control and feeling as if she wasn't entirely powerless was all she had really needed and Artorias gave that to her without making her feel as if he was simply rolling over and letting her win.

She loosened her grip on his throat, but she didn't fully let go or pull away just yet. She was riding the high of her victory for as long as she could and savoring this feeling of being powerful and capable for as long as Artorias would humor her. Her lithe body slid against his own, stretching out along the muscular planes of his toned frame until her hips pressed back into his and a quiet, muffled groan escaped her. She was lost in this moment that was so unlike her usual carefully maintained and calculated outlook on life. This was primal and desperate and somehow still soothing and reliving at the same time. Still keeping Artorias pinned to the dojo floor, she took all of her husband and joined them together, allowing herself the pleasure that she hadn't felt like she deserved.

- fade -

"Artorias & Briar Carpathius"