Chapter Eleven....Playful Rewards
She let her fingers slide back from his face so that she could tangle them in his thick hair. Sometimes his words fell
on her heart like blows. Such amazing, powerful love. He could touch straight to the core of her soul and then kiss it
right with a laughing look and a smile. She might not be able to argue that her love was as great as his. She loved
him with everything that she was. And he still overwhelmed her with the way he loved her sometimes. But she could
argue that she was the one that wasn't worthy of the gift of his love. Even as she took it and her own heart grew
stronger because of it. Smile starting, spreading to reflect in her dark eyes, she shook her head.
"Make me." She challenged.
Hector playfully narrowed his own dark eyes at her. "You do realize you're the only person in the whole world that
can get away with daring me, right?" He said. "But...on the other hand, you're the only..combatant I’ve gone up
against, who I know is ticklish...and where." He all out grinned at his veiled 'threat' then. "And I really like to win and
am not above cheating to do so."
The second she said 'you wouldn't dare' it was all over. She knew it. And was trying not to laugh about it. Her hands
shifted from his hair to rest against his chest in anticipation.
Playing had never been much of a choice in her life before. She must have as a child but she didn't remember much
of that. Growing up had been about taking care of other people and childish games had fallen somewhere by the
wayside. She thought - she thought it had probably been the same for her husband. That that was what made the
fact that he lured her into games now, that they could laugh and be silly and free - it was precious to her. And she
loved that they shared it. Their own secret because if anyone in their family saw them this way they'd never believe
it. Eyes sparkling, she lifted her lips to press a kiss to the tip of his nose. And whispered with a grin:
"You wouldn't dare..."
Hector chuckled. "I wouldn't?" He said with a smile as his hand slid up her side to right below her rib cage and started
tickling her. He just loved the sound of her silvery laugh, especially right now, blending in with the falling water and
the breeze through the trees, carrying on the awaiting mists to his waiting ears.
"Come on, admit I'm right." He said, laughing along with her.
"Beast." She protested, laughing. Catching at his hand as she twisted closer to him to get away from the tickling. She
was free with him. And she loved him for giving her that too. She managed, momentarily at least, to trap his hand
with both of hers, pinning it to the grass. Not believing for a second that she was actually going to be able to hold him
there. But it gave her the added benefit of being wrapped even more closely against him so it was more than a fair
trade off.
"Do you settle all your arguments this way?" She laughed, still keeping a careful eye on his pinned hand. "Does your
mother know?"
"My mother isn't aware of half the things I've done." He said with a chuckle as he let her pin his hand to the ground
under hers. "Or maybe she is and she just hasn't let me know about it." Hecuba could be as mysterious as
Triantifilla, though in a different, entirely more positive way. "But I do settle arguments any way I know how." He
added with a chuckle, and then kissed her, letting his love for her flow through that, hoping she felt it. He could never
show it enough.
"Besides, I like to hear you laugh."
And there he was again, she thought as her heart sighed in her chest. Melting her. One of her hands stayed with his
but the other forgot and reached up to wind into his dark hair as she returned the kiss. More than willing to agree to
anything he wanted.
It was one of the greatest paradoxes of her life that she felt so strong and safe when she was helpless and
vulnerable to him.
"Probably shouldn't mention this to your mother either." She murmured, drawing him closer for another kiss.
"Shh.." He said with a low chuckle. "She'd never believe it. I'm the good boy, remember? The responsible, serious,
well mannered one." Things he'd over heard at different points of his life, including his own wedding day! "But..." He
said as he kissed along her long neck. "You did say this place was interruption free, something I bet the bedroom
they gave us won't even be..."
"Mm..." She managed, sighing as his lips flushed warmth through her. Eyes half lidded, she smiled, teasing as she
commented: "You really have her fooled..." She loved the sound of his laughter. But she loved feeling it even more.
She hardly wanted his hands off of her now and the hand that had been holding his let go to slide up his well
muscled arm. His skin was warm and strong and steady under her touch and she shifted under him to be closer.
"We can put Podes outside the bedroom door..." she managed. Voice already starting to soften the way it always did
when he touched her. "Let him bore everyone to death before they have a chance to knock and disturb us..."
Hector chuckled. "I bet he'd enjoy that job." He said with humor. "He knows the stories of my battles and exploits
better than I do." Which, were it for any other circumstance than guaranteeing him privacy with his wife, he might find
rather disconcerting.
"But, if you're planning on inside activities...does that mean I have to move now?"
As one of the youngest sons in a house full of grown, rough warriors with their own exploits to brag about, Podes
needed to believe in someone that rose above them all. Someone he could dream about being like that outshone
even his own boisterous family. He'd chosen Hector. Long before Andromache had ever set sail for Troy. She'd just
never paid much attention to who his hero was before, just that he'd had one worth looking up to.
The loops in the tapestry of life were odd sometimes...
She stretched under her husband with a pleased sigh, dark eyes lazy and deep. Winding her arms around his
shoulders as she fit herself closer. Loving the feel of him. Loving the simple male smell of him. Raising her face she
slide a kiss against his throat with a pleased hum. Long fingers slipping from his neck to slip under the fabric of his
tunic and feel the warmth of the skin and muscle laying over the back of his shoulders.
"I suppose that depends on how you were thinking of moving." she teased, voice against his skin.
He laughed a bit again. "Oh, I'm planning on scaring off wildlife with my battle maneuvers." He teased back, smiling
inside and out at the feel of her lips against his skin, and her hands, and her hum that just vibrated through straight
down to his soul.
He slid his own arms so that both were holding the majority of his weight (which could be considered considerable)
off her slender body on his forearms. "Want to help?" He asked, looking down at her with a smile as one of his hands
moved a bit to move her long hair.
Her eyes sparkled as she looked back up at him. So - full of the way she loved him. So - amazed that he loved her
the way his face and his eyes told her he did. She cupped his cheek with her hand, just - looking up into his eyes for
a moment before raising her face to kiss him again. Somehow both tender and teasing and playful all at once.
"I seem to remember that I like helping you." she smiled against him, voice a soft murmur.