Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Autumn was surrounded; they were on both sides of her, breathing quietly in sleep, and she had never been happier.
She would not listen to the foul little voice in the back of her head that said they were pretending.
Autumn had been listening to that voice her whole life, and who knows how many good things it had talked her into leaving behind.
She wasn’t going to leave them, or this, ever. Autumn was finally loved, seen, for herself, not for who someone wanted her to be. It was joy, but there was paralyzing fear there too. That was just the voice she wasn’t listening to.
Autumn curled down into their warmth and shut her eyes, locking the world out. This was just for them; nothing could get in, not while they were here and together.
She dozed in their arms until they woke, until they looked down at her and smiled. She smiled back and craned up to kiss Boreus first, and then Auster.
Rising, washing, breakfast, and then the missives that Autumn had been expecting, which would summon them to the Highest. She didn’t particularly want to see them, but when you were called, you went.
So they did, trooping across the slope of the Mountain hand in hand until they made the throne room and bowed to the Highest. “What would you have of me, Highest?”
“You are released from your bargain,”Love said calmly. “You have fulfilled the conditions.”
“Yes, Highest,” Autumn bowed her head to Love. “Thank you.”
“Now,” Light said, pulling their attention back to her. “Now that we have had that out, we will begin on the plan you have to save Skirion. As well as the plan to strengthen the threads safeguarding the braid between you and Eleni.”
“Yes, Highest,” Autumn smiled. “Is there a specific consideration for the threads? I would think that handling that first, before we go back to Charan, would be a good idea.”
“We will plan this,” Light said. “And you will do it in my presence. There have been times when the braid will reject the threads, and you will require a cantilever.”
“Yes, my Highest,” Autumn said. “The braid has accepted Boreus; is there a reason it would reject Auster?”
“It is a question of duress,” Light said thoughtfully. “I do not believe that I will be needed, but if I am, it will be best if I am there.”
Autumn squeezed their hands. “I would like to do what needs to be done soon.”
“And so we will, but I would give you three two weeks to come to a firmer equilibrium,” Light smiled. “Before we go messing about in your psyche.”
“We will return in two weeks, then?” Autumn asked.
Light nodded, “Go where you will, be happy and stay together. Once the two weeks are up, we will strengthen the braid.”
They left, going back to their home on the rise above the spring and settling in to try to find a new way forward. Autumn sat for a minute, and then got up, going to them and plopping herself in Boreus’ lap.
“Hello, love,” he kissed her gently. “Something that you need?”
She wound her arms around his neck, kissing him slowly. “Need is a strong word,” she shuddered when he trailed his fingers up her spine. “I just had a thought, and I want to know how you feel about it.”
“Tell me,” he pulled her in and pressed her forehead to his. “I would like to know what you’re thinking.”
Autumn felt her cheeks get warm, but she wasn’t going to let fear make a hash of this the way she had her whole life. “I was thinking you could take me to bed.” She whispered. “Both of you.”
“Oh?” He cocked an eyebrow at her, and she had to force herself to stay. “Is that something you think you want?”
Autumn nodded, face still hot. “You watched when Auster and I made love, but I want you to touch me too.”
“Is that so, my love?” He kissed her, slow and easy, lips wandering hers. “Have you asked Auster what he thinks?”
Autumn shook her head. “I wanted to ask you first.”
“Well, go and ask him.” Boreus kissed her again. “I think he and I both want the same thing, but you’ll want to be sure.”
She didn’t have to go far, Auster had risen and was standing right there, so when Autumn got off Boreus’ lap, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her too.
“Are you going to ask me, Autumn?” Auster smiled at her. “Are you going to be good for us and tell us what you want?”
She nodded, smiling up at him and trying to conceal the fire in her blood. No, that was wrong, she was supposed to let them know what she was thinking, what she was feeling, that was the way love worked. She didn’t have to try to protect them from her, they loved her.
So she looked up at Auster, letting him see the desire in her eyes. The effect on him was immediate. He looked a little startled, and then he pulled her in, kissing her fiercely.
“Ask me, Autumn,” he crooned in her ear. “Tell me what you want, tell me you want us.”
Autumn shuddered, lifting her eyes to his and opening her mouth. Boreus pressed into her back, warm and solid, and she could feel the evidence of his desire pressed into her lower back.
“I want you,” she said, pulling Auster in to kiss him. “I want you both, please, take me to bed.”
“That’s so good, Autumn.” Boreus kissed her neck. “Come with us, we’ll give you what you want.”
They took her hands, leading her to their bed, where they pinned her between them again, both of them skimming her body over her dress.
The dress was in the way, she didn’t want it in the way. She also couldn’t get to the brooches that held it in place, because she was pinned between her loves.
They knew, she understood that by the way they were looking at her. Or at least the way Boreus was looking at her. They didn’t undress her, just skimmed her body through the dress until she felt like she was going to go crazy.
“Someone needs to learn patience.” Auster crooned in her ear. “We will take everything you have, Autumn, but you will wait for us to be ready. We want to play right now.”
She nodded, trying to relax into their touch, trying to just be, as the fire in her blood slowly burned higher.