~~
Shawn
~~
After the meeting with the Sentinelle and the Warlocks things started to move pretty quickly. It was suddenly settled that we were going to go to the Aerie Convento, the headquarters of the Warlocks to talk with their leader.
There was a strategy meeting before we were to leave, and during that meeting the Luna stood and addressed us all. It seemed like she was just trying to encourage us and give us confidence while simultaneously telling us what we all meant to her.
She had told me I affected those around me, that by just being around me was enough to move people. And as for Dietrich, she said it was like he knew what was going to happen before it did and that he could bend people to his will.
Never, in a million years, did I imagine that these words would take the form of powers and magic. But after a bright flash of light we heard a voice tell us that we had been granted abilities.
Trinity explained to us what all our abilities were, but it was up to us to figure them out.
After the meeting I went with Dietrich to his room. We needed to wrap our heads around what had just happened and figure all of this out before we left for the Aerie Convento. I didn't pay attention to or tell Dietrich to stop when he put his arm around my waist while we walked.
I was still dazed and lost in thought when we entered his room. Unconsciously I followed him to his couch and even sat next to him, still not at all aware of what I was doing. It wasn't until Dietrich stroked the side of my face and spoke directly to me that I was pulled out of my thoughts.
"Was ist falsch? What is wrong, Liebling?" His voice was holding a note of worry as he cupped my cheek.
"Nichts, Herzchen, Nichts." I answered him in the German that I had been practicing.
"I don't believe that it is nothing, my love. Please tell me what is bothering you so." His eyes, so pleading, were looking at me with concern.
"I just don't know what to think about this new power, and all that goes with it. We are marked now, part of the Luna Queen's guard. What does that mean for us?"
"Did you plan not to be a guard?" He wondered, looking surprised.
"No, I love being a guard and it is all that I want, but what if I am not good enough to be the guard of a G.o.ddess Incarnate?"
"Shawn, mein süßer, if you were not up to it my sweet, then you would not have been chosen, none of us would have been. You are worthy of your position, what you lack is confidence in yourself." He looked at me lovingly, and with a kind and gentle warmth.
"Dietrich, Liebling." I put my hand on his, the one that was cradling my cheek, and caressed it gently. "I love you."
I instantly felt the embarra.s.sment flood me when I said those words. I felt the urge to clap my hands over my mouth while my eyes popped wide open in fear and embarra.s.sment. But I also knew that it was stupid of me to worry about that. Dietrich had told me he loved me on more than one occasion. And even now, his face was radiating a light that told me how happy he was.
Dietrich's eyes were bright, s.h.i.+ning like a star in the dead of night. The smile on his face would have won him a place on any magazine cover in the world. And the love and happiness radiating off him was enough to make my heart flutter. Sometimes I still couldn't believe that he was mine.
I let the embarra.s.sment fade from me, taking the heat from my face as it dissipated. I was done being so shy around him. I realized now, I really did love him, there was no reason for me to hide it at all.
"Meinst du das, Geliebte? Do you really mean it?"
"Yes, Dietrich, I really do. I shouldn't have made you wait so long for it." I was returning his smile wholeheartedly.
"Oh Shawn, das macht mich so glücklich, that makes me so happy."
~~
Dietrich
~~
I could tell that Shawn was in a daze since the meeting, that was why I had pulled him along to my room. I led him over to the couch as sat him down, and he still didn't seem to know what was going on.
I had to put my hand on his face, stroking then cupping his cheek, just to get him to respond to me.
"Was ist falsch? What is wrong, Liebling?" I could hear the worry thickening my voice but there was no way for me to shed that worry, my mate seemed to be hurting.
"Nichts, Herzchen, Nichts." He had been practicing, and hearing him answer me so smoothly in German made me happy, but that happiness was dampened by the fact that he was trying to tell me that nothing was wrong.
"I don't believe that it is nothing, my love. Please tell me what is bothering you so." I was pleading with him, begging him really, to talk with me to tell me what was wrong.
"I just don't know what to think about this new power, and all that goes with it. We are marked now, part of the Luna Queen's guard. What does that mean for us?"
"Did you plan not to be a guard?" This shocked me, I thought that he wanted to continue along the path he had taken, he had seemed so happy about it.
"No, I love being a guard and it is all that I want, but what if I am not good enough to be the guard of a G.o.ddess Incarnate?"
"Shawn, mein süßer, if you were not up to it my sweet, then you would not have been chosen, none of us would have been. You are worthy of your position, what you lack is confidence in yourself." I put as much love and affection for him as I could into those words, I wanted him to know that no matter what happened, I was there for him.
"Dietrich, Liebling." Shawn put his hand against mine, cradling it as I cradled his face. "I love you."
I saw his face turn red with embarra.s.sment at the same time that my heart melted into a puddle and proceeded to trickle throughout my entire body. I also felt like my heart was swelling, filling with air so much that I was going to take flight at any moment. There just weren't enough metaphors and hyperbole to explain just how happy I was at hearing those three little words from the man that was sitting in front of me.
"Meinst du das, Geliebte? Do you really mean it?" I had to know if he said it for my benefit or his.
"Yes, Dietrich, I really do. I shouldn't have made you wait so long for it." He was smiling at me now, showing me a level of sincerity and love that I had been longing to see.
"Oh Shawn, das macht mich so glücklich, that makes me so happy."
On impulse, I leaned into him, happiness bringing us together. I pressed my lips to his for a gentle and chaste kiss. Shawn's hands came up then and cupped my face, my right hand was still cupping his so I placed the other on his waist as we kissed each other, he was returning the kiss, my pa.s.sion, everything.
Shawn had been gradually getting more and more used to the kisses between us, and this time was proving to be just like the previous times. Shawn took advantage of my parted lips this time, slipping his tongue into my mouth and taking the lead.
I had started the kiss, like always, but Shawn was taking control of it. He pushed me, a little roughly, against the arm of the couch. That's fine, he was still inexperienced and learning it all. With his arms braced on the cus.h.i.+ons of the couch to prop him up Shawn explored the inside of my mouth with his tongue. He was truly getting much better at this.
After several minutes Shawn pulled back, breaking the kiss. There was heat, arousal, and fear in his eyes. He still wasn't certain of these things, but he was getting there.
"I'm sorry." He looked away from me.
"Don't be, there was nothing wrong with what you did. I quite enjoyed myself." I grinned at him causing his blush to deepen slightly. "That was amazing Shawn."
"You're not mad that I took control?" He asked me sheepishly.
"Not at all, it was hot, and exciting." I grinned at him.
"I was worried about how you would react, since you always seem to take the lead."
"We can take turns in that respect." I grinned and winked at him. "Besides, I want you as you Shawn, no matter how that might be." He smiled at me with a surprised and excited look. "Though, I would like it if you initiated a kiss sometime soon." I grinned at him.
"I-I, w-we-well, I will, that's on my, I'll try, soon." His fl.u.s.tered stuttering was adorable, so much so that I couldn't help but lean in and kiss his cheek.
"I will be eagerly waiting for that day." I grinned at him with happiness and arousal.