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“You want some soup, too?” asked Siana, “it might be a little cold now, but it is still alright.”
“You made all this while I was sleeping?” asked Alan.
“Yes,” she said, “I thought you would wake up in the middle of the night and would be starving when everyone is sleeping. So, I prepared something simple.”
Alan was moved and very grateful for her kind gesture. He smiled at her and thanked her. He then started eating so fast that in minutes the plate was nearly empty. I guess he was really very hungry, thought Siana. Alan took another piece of bread and spread the jam on it. Siana felt a desire to eat as well but she had brought enough for only one person and Alan needed it since he had skipped dinner.
“What do you want to do after you finish eating?” asked Siana.
“I don’t really know,” said Alan, “I can’t sleep anymore. I already slept a lot.” He lowered his plate and took a bite of the bread. He didn’t really want to go to his office so early to work. He didn’t feel like taking a walk either. He just wanted to be with Siana for now.
“What do you want to do?” asked Alan.
Siana felt herself blush. Alan noticed this. “Tell me, is there something on your mind?” he asked, “You can tell me. I will do whatever you want to do.”
“What do you expect me to say?” she said.
“Maybe how much you love and trust me,” said Alan and smirked.
“Wipe that smirk off your face,” she said, “You are supposed to be sick.”
He stroked her hair, twirled a brown strand between his fingers and looked at her fondly. And just like that, she was at his mercy. “The priest talked to me after you fell asleep,” she said, “I want to talk about it with you.”
She looked so embarassed that Alan felt curious. “Did he say something bad?” he asked.
“No,” she said, “Nothing bad. You are alright. He just talked to me about ways to work through the curse.”
Alan frowned. “I heard that the spread of the curse is slow.”
“Yes,” she said, “But he also told me that I am sacred. I have the magic.”
‘Okay,” he said, “What else?”
“He
 um
,” Siana stammered. Siana really couldn’t get the words out of her. It was too embarrassing to say aloud. She hesitated and decided to put it in another way. “He said we need to
 um
 be together
”
“Together?” said Alan, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah
 in a way,” she mumbled.
“But we are already doing that, aren’t we?” he asked, “We are together now.”
“Not in that way,” she said, trying to put the right words together. “A different kind of
”
“Together in a different way?” he said, “Hm. Like how?”
Siana looked at him, thunderstruck. She couldn’t utter the words, but Alan was always so sharp in understanding things. Did he really not understand or was he just pretending to not know about it?
“Really?” she asked, rolling her eyes, “You really don’t know what I am talking about?”
“Yea,” he said, “Just tell me what you– “
“You idiot, I am saying we need to have s*x,” Siana blurted out, impatiently.
A few seconds later, the shock registered. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “That came out very wrong,” she said, hurriedly, “I didn’t mean— I was just
 your condition. It has to be like that
 This is so awkward. Normally, you initiate these kinds of things
 I
.” Siana babbled everything that came into her mind without thinking. She was beyond that now. She felt so embarrassed that she just needed to fill the silence with words, but Alan was looking at her. His eyes were wide, and his mouth open. She trailed off and stopped babbling.
There was a long, awkward silence. “Together in a different way
 you meant
 um
 ‘physically’.”
“Y-yes,” muttered Siana, blushing a deep red.
“The priest really said that?” he asked, “That is the only way for the curse to be lifted?”
“Yes,” stammered Siana, “He did. He said I have magic in me but it’s rather weak and
.” Siana looked at him. “You said so when I asked you. You said on our first night that you didn’t have nightmares.” She stopped speaking. She wondered if she had said something wrong or too forward, because Alan was sitting there looking at her blankly. She was just about to explain and clarify when he spoke.
“Sia,” he said, gently, “You don’t need to over-exert yourself. You don’t need to do something like that for me.”
“What? Why?” she asked.
“You said it still hurts,” he said, “So, don’t force yourself when you aren’t well. It’s alright.”
Siana realized that Alan had taken her awkwardness and all the ramblings as distress on her part. He took it to mean that she was pressurized because of the situation. True, if the priest hadn’t said it, she wouldn’t be talking about this with him. But it was equally true that she had wanted more and more to be intimate with him these past few days. Usually, Alan was too quick to notice these things but with sleep deprivation he might have overlooked it.
“It’s not
,” she stammered, “I am not forcing myself or anything. I do want to help with the curse in anyway I can
 but it’s also something I want. I have wanted it for the past few days. Being away from you was just
 painful.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “You aren’t just saying all this just for my sake, are you?”
“No,” she said, firmly, lowering her head, “I just want you.”
Siana realized as she blurted the words out that they were true. She was surprised and astonished at herself. Oh, god, now I have done it. She was so ashamed and embarrassed that she couldn’t look at him. When he said nothing, she lifted her head to look at him. Unlike her who was so flustered, Alan had a big grin on his face.
“Aww,” he teased, “You should have just told me you missed our night together.”
“No, I
 just
”
“Just what?” he said, “You just told me. So, it’s really not because of this weird treatment proposed by the priest, right?”
“No,” she said.
“Do you really want me?”
He talked about it so easily and it was true. She loved him. She wanted him to touch her. She wanted him, badly. But why did it feel so embarrassing to admit it? She blushed even more than before.
“How many times are you going to ask me?!” she said, “Think whatever you like.”
“Oh, come on, Sia,” he said, moving closer to her, “How will I know you really want this until you say it?”
“Liar!” she said, “I already told you. You are just doing this to hear me say it again.”
Alan’s lips curled up into a smile. “Right,” he said, grasping her arms and pulling her close to him. “I want to hear you say it,” he whispered, “Only then will I be convinced.”
He had pulled her onto his lap. His face was so close to hers. She felt her face heat up and blush harder. “Say it, Sia,” he whispered, “Tell me you want me.”
Siana was shocked at his audacity. How could he say it in such a smooth way? She realized that as much as it embarrassed her, she liked this side of him too. His one hand was on her arm, the other wrapped around her waist. She could feel the warmth of his hand through her thin nightgown. His caresses sent a tingle through her spine.
“Tell me, Sia,” he whispered. He looked at her, amused. This was so different from the usual Alan she knew and it sent a thrill through her. Her desire was building, and her heart was thumping in her chest. “Say it.”
“I want you, Alan,” she whispered back, unable to hold it any longer. “Please.”
Alan smiled and buried his face in her neck. His lips sucked on her flesh. His hot breath tickled her, goosebumps erupting all over her skin from this closeness. He licked the side of her neck. Siana shivered and closed her eyes. While his lips were busy, his hands were untying her night shift.
He pulled the nightgown off of her, she was completely naked now. His hands fell on her mounds and caressed them. Her n*pples hardened. The cool air on her skin sent her shivering. His rough, calloused hands were becoming frantic on her skin. He squeezed and caressed and gripped them tight in a fit of passion. Siana gasped with pleasure and a bit of pain.
“Ah
 Alan,” she whimpered, “It hurts
.”
“Sorry,” he said, hoarsely, “I got carried away. It feels like I have been away from you for so long.”
“Don’t stop,” she said, softly, “Alan, every time you talk, your breath tickles me. Just shut up, will you?”
Alan pulled her hair back from her shoulders, exposing her neck in its entirety. “Tickles?” he said, “Doesn’t it feel good? Do you want me to stop?”
“N-no,” she said.
“Mm,” he licked her neck, deliberately on the softest sides to provoke her. He nibbled at them, teeth grazed her flesh.
“Ah
 Alan,” she whispered. She trembled. His lips traced kissed all over her neck and down to her collarbone. Everywhere his tongue touched, it left her skin tingling. While, his hands caressed her bre*sts. His lips went lower to her chest and found her bre*sts. Siana gasped. He kissed them and fondled them, played with it and nibbled it. His tongue was all over her. “Ahhh,” she m*aned.
His hand came around her waist and pulled her closer while his mouth passionately invaded her chest. His hot breath tickled her skin. She curled her fingers in his hair, as his exploration became more insistent. Siana m*aned. She didn’t know her breast could be this sensitive, or if Alan was making it so. Or was it because, as he said, it had been too long? It ar*used her more and more as he saw his face and his tongue teasing her skin. His blond hair looked radiant in the dim light that was filtering through the window. Siana felt herself getting wetter.
He looked at her as he continued to lick and nibble at her bre*sts. Siana revelled in the pleasure but felt ashamed at the same time and looked away. The sound of everything happening was too loud. He laid her down below him in the bed and continued his sweet ministrations. The sound of Alan breathing roughly, and her own moans seemed unusually loud. She wondered if it was because the world was sleeping and both of them were entwined like this.
Siana remembered him suffering and remembered herself suffering with the want of him. That made this ever more precious. She opened her eyes to see Alan at her chest. She felt a heat building between her legs but Alan’s mouth on her chest felt too good for her. Every touch was so sensitive, every caress was like fire. And she wanted more.
Alan raised his head from her chest and smirked. “You taste sweet.”