This seems like a good time give you all a small update on the Kranna doujinshi I currently have in-production. I would like for much of it to be a surprise, but there’s no harm in building healthy curiosity.
This is Anna. She was (before Asgard) a mercenary by profession and is one tough customer.
Kratos, on a mission to keep tabs on this survivor who has entangled herself in quite a large mess, sticks around despite his better judgement.
And through hell and high water…
Two rather fucked-up people find their lives suddenly and inexplicably intertwined.
(and Lloyd definitely, totally, completely isn’t an accident)
Summary:After spending a couple hours making a week’s worth of meals for the four of them, Anna goes outside to look for Kratos to let him know it’s time for lunch. Once she’s outside, though, she notices that he’s nowhere to be found. So where could her husband be when he’s supposed to be taking care of some outside chores?
Author’s Note: I just wanted to write a short fic/ficlet based on this art that I shared as part of that artist’s Pixiv art log from yesterday (I really wanted to find the Twitter link for it, though). This art was just too cute not to write a little something about it…
Anna let out a satisfied sigh after drying off her hands and taking a look at the two chicken salad sandwiches, each with a side of sliced carrots, on the plates before her. She had spent the last two hours preparing a week’s worth of meals for the four of them, along with lunch for herself and Kratos. After setting the plates down at their small dining table, she headed outside to find her husband and let him know it was time for lunch. When she opened the front door to their cabin, though, and stepped out into cool, early spring air, he was nowhere to be found. Instead, she only found Noishe curled up on the porch, sleeping peacefully.
Hmm… He said he was going to water the vegetable garden and take care of a few other chores after laying Lloyd down for his nap, she thought while taking a look at the small vegetable garden next to their porch. The soil looked dry, as though it hadn’t been watered in a few days. They usually took turns watering the garden every three or four days, and it was his turn from what she could recall. She shook her head as she looked over at their sleeping family pet again.
I guess that can only mean one thing, she thought as she opened the front door and made her way back inside their cabin. She continued on down the hallway toward their bedroom where she quietly and slowly opened the door. Inside, she found her husband and one year old son sleeping soundly on their plush, white colored futon that was laid out on the floor. Kratos was using his left arm as a pillow, while his right hand was placed on Lloyd’s stomach. Their son was on his back with his hands balled into tiny fists, his brown and somewhat spiky hair splayed out on the futon. Her lips curled into a soft, knowing smile at the endearing sight before her.
Anna looked back one last time as she turned to leave the room at her husband and son before she quietly opened the bedroom door again. Just as she was about to leave, though, she heard Kratos begin to stir awake behind her. She turned around again as he sat up and let out yawn before shifting his gaze to hers.
“Ah, I’m sorry, my dear…” He spoke quietly as he stood up moments later, “It appears I fell asleep…”
She laughed quietly, looking up at him, “Seems like it… You didn’t even make it outside to water the garden.”
Kratos froze, a pink flush tinting his cheeks, “Ah… Yes, that too. I apologize again, my dear.”
Anna kissed his cheek before taking one of his hands in hers, wearing a knowing smile, “Don’t worry about it, Kratos. You can take care of it after lunch. Now let’s go. The sandwiches I made have been sitting out for a while.”
He nodded, and the two quietly left the bedroom, hand in hand, then headed towards the kitchen. Once there, the couple sat down at their dining table and ate in comfortable silence. When Anna was finished with her meal, she looked up at her husband, noticing the black colored jacket he was wearing.
“Looks like you were all set to head outside before you fell asleep…” She said, flashing him a soft smile.
He looked up from his plate, meeting her gaze and placing his fork down, “Yes I was… Oh, and I also apologize for not laying Lloyd down in his bassinet for his nap.”
She let out a giggle at that, “Again, don’t worry about it, Kratos. Though, it’s probably not a good idea to let him sleep on the futon for more than a couple hours at most, considering his age.”
He nodded, giving her that soft, but sheepish smile of his.
“Speaking of Lloyd…” Anna said as she stood up from her chair and moved towards him, “I’m going to go check to see if he’s awake now. He’s probably hungry. Will you take care of our dishes for me?”
“Yes, my dear…” Kratos replied, tilting his head up to meet her gaze, “I will also get right to watering the vegetable garden and cleaning and repairing the tool shed in the backyard.”
She leaned down to give him an all too brief, chaste kiss on his lips while gently grasping the collar of his jacket, “Sounds like a good plan…”
He watched her as she left the kitchen, smiling for a brief moment before letting out a sigh. As he stood up from the table and made his way to the front door, he promised himself that he wouldn’t be caught sleeping when he should be doing chores again, despite his wife telling him not to worry about it. And so, with renewed resolve, he stepped out the front door, ready to get to work and take on the rest of the afternoon.
Summary:The morning after a night of intimacy to celebrate their wedding anniversary, Anna wakes up feeling a little bit sore. Kratos, on the other hand, is as concerned as ever about hurting her or being too rough with her the night before, and promises to make it up to her.
Author’s Note: So, this is the second of the two short fics I planned on posting today. This one is for the Fever category, and combines all three of today’s prompts, Strawberries, Flower Bed, and Early Mornings. The title of this comes straight from a lyric in ‘Watermelon Sugar’ by Harry Styles, a song that maybe you’ve heard one or two times before (the content of this fic also falls in line with the meaning of the lyrics as well) … Anyway, I also wrote this as sort of a short, morning after sequel to the one-shot I posted on this day last year, ‘Under The Sakura Moonlight’.
So, as always with these kinds of fics, this one contains graphic smut. Please only read at your own discretion/risk!
The faint, floral scent of cherry blossoms hung in air as Kratos opened his eyes to the early morning light that filled their bedroom. He looked down at his wife as she slept on his bare chest, shifting his body slightly to get a better view of the crown on her head while making sure not to disturb her from her deep slumber. A smile formed on his face, and he inwardly chuckled at the sight of a few stray blossom petals tangled in her hair. His head turned to glance down at the many fully bloomed buds and blossom petals still scattered all over the bed sheets, moving his hand from her shoulder and running it through his spiky, auburn locks. More stray petals fell from his hair as he ran his hand through it and on to the pillow underneath him.
He inwardly chuckled again as he gently shook his head to dislodge a few more petals from his hair, before laying his head back down on the pillow again. A contented sigh escaped his lips moments before he felt her begin to stir awake on top of him.
“Mmm… Kratos…” Anna slurred sleepily, nuzzling her cheek against his chest, the palm of her hand and pads of her fingers gently rubbing and pressing against his skin, “Are you awake?”
“Yes, my dear.” Kratos replied, angling his head to glance down at the top of her head, his hand gently caressing her bare shoulder.
She let out a contented sigh as she lifted herself up to gaze down sleepily at him, “You really did a number on me last night.”
He frowned as he met her gaze, “Are you all right? Are you hurt?”
“Just a little sore, is all…” She leaned down to kiss his cheek in an attempt to reassure him, “Don’t worry about it, Kratos. I’m fine, really… Last night was incredible. More than I could ever ask for as an anniversary gift.”
“I knew I was too rough last night…” He let out a pained sigh, averting his gaze from hers.
“Kratos, stop…” Anna gave him a knowing smile and let out another sigh, her hand trailing up from his chest to cup and caress his cheek, “Look at me, please.”
“Let me make it up to you.” Kratos said after a brief pause, his eyes meeting hers once again and his hand reaching up to cover hers.
She let out a soft giggle, her thumb lightly brushing across his cheek, “Now?”
He swallowed hard and nodded slowly, then reached up with his other hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, before gently pulling her down and crushing his lips against hers. The couple flipped positions, with her now underneath him, as their lips continued to meld together. A moan escaped his lips as his tongue intertwined with hers, relishing in the taste of strawberries that still lingered on her tongue from their dinner the night before. She wrapped her arms around him as his lips broke away from hers and left a heated trail down the column of her neck. Her blunt fingernails dug into his back, and she gasped as his lips nipped and lightly sucked on the tender skin at the nape of her neck. His lips then continued their heated path down to her breasts, making sure to take his time to lavish equal attention on each one by slowly peppering her with soft kisses.
“Kratos… Please…” Anna softly moaned, tangling her fingers in his hair.
“Patience, my dear…” Kratos murmured against the skin on the underside of her breast.
His lips continued to trail down her body, peppering her with languid open-mouthed kisses all the way down to her navel. He made sure to kiss and lightly brush his tongue along every scar and stretch mark along the way as his lips made their way past her navel. Soft, breathy moans escaped her lips, her fingers tugging gently on his hair as his lips and nose brushed over the curled tuft of hair on her sex. Then he buried his nose into the damp, coarse curls of hair, taking in the faint, floral scent of cherry blossoms that emanated from her there. She writhed underneath the feel of his hot, wanting breath on her womanhood, her moans becoming louder and louder with each gasping breath that escaped from her lips.
A loud gasp followed by a whine fell from her lips as his tongue swiped up from the slit of her slick, wet entrance and through her already soaking wet folds. He inwardly smirked at how easily aroused she became just from him kissing her all over. His lips and tongue eventually found her clit, with his tongue slowly swirling and teasing the tiny bundle of nerves. Her breathing became ragged and raspy as his lips showered her folds with open-mouthed kisses, her fingers now digging into his scalp and roughly pulling on his spiky hair. After tucking his arms under her raised knees and gently holding her with his hands gripping her thighs, his tongue trailed upward from her dripping wet entrance and through her folds to relentlessly lick and tease her clit again.
Mere moment later, she came, and came hard, her release rushing and flooding into his mouth as his lips and tongue pressed up against her entrance. His name fell from her lips in loud, gasping breaths as his tongue lapped up every last drop of her release. Her release tasted distinctly like strawberries this time, and he relished in the sweet and tart taste of her while the faint, floral scent of cherry blossoms that still emanated from both her womanhood and the petals and blooms on the bed continued to flood his sense of smell. He reluctantly swallowed her release a few moments later, his lips finding her inner thighs, where he left her with a few gentle kisses before lifting his head up to briefly glance at her. She closed her eyes, her chest heaving as she came down from her high and her hands and arms falling limply onto the bed sheet and mattress beneath her.
His lips found her navel again, where he slowly and softly kissed every scar and stretch mark he could find. He then sat up and positioned himself between her still parted legs, his half-lidded eyes staring down into hers.
“Are you all right, my dear?” Kratos asked, his deep, husky voice still full of concern.
“I’m fine, Kratos,” Anna answered as one of her hands reached up to cup his cheek, “the soreness is gone now.”
He let out a relieved sigh, closing his eyes, “Good…”
“What about you, though?” She asked, her hand now caressing his cheek.
He blinked, then gave her a quizzical look, “What about me, my dear?”
“I want you to be satisfied too…”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you again…”
She let out a weak giggle, “You’re not going to hurt me again, Kratos. Now, I want you to take me. As gently as you want.”
He closed his eyes again after falling silent for a few moments, “All right then… As you wish, my dear.”
Anna wrapped her arms around her husband as he buried his face into the crook of her neck. His length slid with relative ease through her slick, wet entrance and into her inner walls after using his hand to quickly position himself. He let out a hiss as her walls began to clench around him. Her hands moved to trail through his hair as he began to gently rock his hips back and forth against hers. She let out a loud moan as he gradually picked up the pace and intensity of his thrusts, feeling his hot, ragged breath on her neck, and the tip of his manhood hit her sweet spot repeatedly. It wasn’t long before they both came in unison, their names falling from each other’s lips, along with him completely emptying a heavy load of his spent into her.
Kratos rolled off of her and onto his back moments later while she quickly nestled up against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her.
“It’s still early, isn’t it?” Anna asked sleepily, nuzzling her cheek against his chest.
“Yes it is, my dear…” Kratos replied, a smile gracing his features.
She turned her head to look up at him, “Then let’s go back to sleep for a few more hours.”
He kissed the tip of her nose and then captured her lips in a chaste kiss, murmuring, “Sounds good, my dear…”
The couple quickly fell asleep in the same position they woke up in earlier a short time later, with his arms wrapped around her and her cheek pressed against his bare chest, too tired to exchange any more words. They hoped to get a few more hours of sleep before having to take on the rest of the day.
Summary:After attending a cherry blossom festival in Palmacosta, Kratos and Anna decide to have a picnic on the outskirts of the city.
Author’s Note: *gasps* A completely wholesome Kranna fic? From me? It’s more likely than you think! …Anyway, I think this is the first fic I’ve written in almost two years that doesn’t have any spice in it… I wrote this for Kranna Spring Fever this year combining the prompts Blossom Festival and Picnics (as part of the Spring category)! It’s not as long as I wanted it to be, and there’s really not much of a plot to it either, but I hope I did a decent job of writing it.
Also, if cute and wholesome is not your thing, well… I do have another short fic I’m going to post later that’s more in line with the most recent fics I’ve written. So look forward to that sometime later today, if that’s your thing…
“Kratos!” Anna called out as she jogged toward her husband, holding three skewers of festival street food in her hand, “You have to try this!”
“What is it?” Kratos asked, taking one of the skewers from her.
“It’s called Takoyaki! Or fried octopus balls… It’s made of batter stuffed with chopped octopus meat, then deep fried!” She exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
“Hmm… Sounds good…” He took a bite from one of the five deep fried octopus balls on the skewer, taking a few moments to thoroughly chew before swallowing.
“Well?” She inquired, beaming with anticipation.
“The flavor is interesting… It’s really good… I like it.” Kratos replied, giving her a gentle smile, “What are the other two?”
“Oh, these? This one is called Yakitori, or grilled chicken,” Anna responded, pointing to the grilled chicken skewer in her other hand, “and this other one is called Dango, or sticky rice balls. They taste more like a dessert, somewhat sweet. This particular one is called Hanami Dango and is only available during this time of the year.”
He smiled as she went on and on about the new kinds of food she learned about from the street vendors at Palmacosta’s cherry blossom festival. She was always so passionate about food and cooking, and he always loved to listen intently to her talk about anything she was excited about.
“…I can’t wait to try making these once we find another house or cabin to stay in!” She exclaimed, breaking him out of his brief reverie.
He nodded, “Hopefully that will be soon, my dear… Now, let’s go find a tree to have our picnic under.”
“All right! Let’s go!” Anna exclaimed, taking his hand in hers as the two continued their walk along the path on the outskirts of town.
The two walked hand in hand, taking in the view of the abundance of pink and white hued blooms on the trees that lined the path they were walking on. He reluctantly let go of her hand as they headed towards a tree in a secluded area just outside of the city where they could be alone and set up their picnic.
“Did you bring the tea kettle too?” She asked as he took out a pink and white checkered blanket from his canvas covered knapsack, laying it on the grass in front of the tree. “I bought some tea at one of the vendors earlier and was hoping we could have some with our lunch.”
“Yes, my dear… I also brought a small bundle of firewood. It’s in the front pocket of my knapsack.” He answered as he smoothed out the blanket on the ground.
“Then I’ll get the tea ready!”
While Anna retrieved the tea kettle, stand, and firewood from Kratos’ bag, Kratos went to get their sandwiches and snacks from her knapsack that she placed against the tree. He watched her with a small smile on his face as she lit the firewood with some matches from his bag and placed the tea kettle on the stand over the small flame. She poured a small container of water that he had in his bag into the tea kettle and waited for the water to boil.
“There, the water should be good in about ten or fifteen minutes.” She spoke as she sat down beside him on the blanket.
“Thank you, my dear…” He wrapped his arm around her and leaned down to kiss the top of her head, “I hope you don’t mind if I brought out the teacups and saucers already.”
“No, that’s fine. Thank you, Kratos!” She glanced down at the perfectly placed teacups and saucers in front of them, before turning to him to kiss him on the cheek.
His eyes widened and his face flushed pink, “Ah… It was nothing…”
The tea kettle began to whistle moments later, so Anna stood up and went to retrieve the bag of tea she bought earlier in the day at the festival from her knapsack. He silently watched her as she walked over to the kettle and placed the small bag of tea into the boiling water, letting it steep for a few minutes. She returned to his side a few moments later with the kettle and poured the tea into each of their teacups.
“What kind of tea is this?” Kratos asked after she stood up again to put the kettle back on the stand and then returned to sit beside him once again.
“The vendor said it was a cherry blossom flavored black tea. I’m excited to try it!” Anna replied, taking her teacup from off of its saucer.
“I’m looking forward to trying it as well…” He gave her another gentle smile.
The couple ate their sandwiches and drank their tea in pleasant conversation, with the two mostly talking about their future travel plans. They ate strawberries along with their sandwiches, and finished off the skewers of Takoyaki, yakitori, and dango. Once they were finished eating, Kratos stood up and put out the fire under the tea kettle, before removing the kettle from the stand and pouring the rest of the tea back into the container from his knapsack. He cleaned up the area and put the kettle and stand back into his bag before returning to her side.
“So, how was your sandwich, Kratos?” Anna asked as she put their teacups back into her knapsack, “I know it’s been a while since I’ve made a tuna sandwich…”
“It was wonderful, my dear.” Kratos answered as she sat down next to him on their blanket again, “I take it yours was wonderful as well?”
“It was…” She said before sighing in contentment, “I just hope we can find another house or cabin soon, like you said earlier. I would really like a decent kitchen to cook in. I can really only make sandwiches when we stay at inns. And I would really like to learn how to make that street food we had earlier, too.”
He wrapped his arm around her again as they leaned back against the tree, his lips finding the crown of her head again, where he let them linger for a time. The couple looked up at the bright blue sky and watched the few clouds in the sky float by from under the cherry blossom tree for a while in comfortable silence. A gust of wind picked up a short time later, causing a few hundred petals to fall from not only the cherry blossom tree they sat under, but the trees that surrounded them too. Anna lifted her head from off Kratos’ shoulder to look up and stare in awe at the falling petals, the wind softly blowing through her short medium-brown hued locks.
When the wind died down a while later, Kratos glanced down at his wife and let out soft chuckle.
“Ah, my dear… You have a petal on the tip of your nose.” He stated as their eyes met.
“Oh? And how do you plan on removing it?” She teased, letting out a soft giggle.
His face inched towards hers, wearing his trademark smirk, “Like this…”
He brushed his nose against hers and the petal quickly flew up and away off the tip of her nose. She looked at him expectantly wearing a small smile, and then he closed the distance as their lips met in a soft, chaste kiss.
After the two exchanged a few more chaste kisses, they spent the rest of the afternoon under the cherry blossom tree, just enjoying each other’s company. They held hands with their fingers intertwined, and eventually Anna fell asleep as she rested her head on Kratos’ shoulder once again. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head one last time before joining her in her afternoon nap. The couple would stay like this until nightfall, when they would have gather up the blanket and their bags and head back to the inn.
Notes: Okay, so I’ve wanted to share this for over FOUR, yes, four, years now! I think I was going to include this with their first Pixiv compilation back in 2017, but decided I wanted to share it sometime after that and never did until now (though I have thought about quite often the last couple of years). Anyway, over the years I’ve tried a few times to run this through the translator on my phone, and while the most recent couple of times I’ve run it through the translation has been complete/makes sense for the most part, I’m still not satisfied with it. So I’m just going to provide a summary of the translation of the two pages instead of the literal translation from my phone.
Page One Summary: Anna finishes singing a song, and Kratos comments on how good the song is. She thanks him and then mentions that her mom used to sing this song to her, and how much she misses her mom. Then she talks about missing her parents and thinking about them, and how this song helps her remember how kind they were.
Page Two Summary: Kratos, after a pause, asks her if she would like to stop by Luin. Anna hugs and thanks him excitedly and Kratos, now flustered, warns her that they won’t be able to stay long because of how dangerous the surrounding area is. Lastly, she says that her parents will be happy to see him, and he responds in a somewhat surprised manner that he’ll be looking forward to it.
So yeah, I hope this is a mostly accurate summary. Overall it’s just a really cute short comic…
Summary:With this Valentine’s Day being their first as a married couple, Anna insisted on making a special dish for the two of them, one that would feature Kratos’ favorite food. Then after dinner comes dessert, and she has a rather special way of presenting a tray of chocolate covered fruit to him.
Author’s Note: This is a late Valentine’s Day fic that’s also going to have a White Day companion piece that I’ll post next month (hopefully on the actual day), so look forward to that if you want! The first half of this is mostly just fluff involving cooking, while the second half is mostly fluff and smut involving dessert. The smut in this fic I consider to be more vanilla than what my last fic had.
Anyway, this fic contains graphic smut (and also some mention of alcohol), so please only read at your own discretion/risk!
When Kratos walked into the kitchen, he found Anna in the midst of opening all of the cabinet doors, frantically trying to find that one special fry pan of hers for tonight’s dinner.
It was like this every year.
Today was Valentine’s Day, and it was their first as a married couple. She had been insisting for the last week to him that she wanted to make something extra special for him for the occasion. He would watch as she poured through every cookbook she still had from over the years they’d been traveling together to find the perfect recipe, refusing his help with a deep scarlet flush on her cheeks every time he offered. It wasn’t until just yesterday that she had found the perfect recipe, and now she was scrambling to find a way to prepare and cook it before this evening.
Again, it was like this every year.
Though, he supposed her panic this year probably involved the fact that they were now married, and she wanted to make sure everything was perfect because of that fact.
“The pan you’re looking for is in the lower cabinet next to the icebox, my dear.” He spoke up, folding his arms and leaning against the archway that connected the living room and the kitchen.
She let out an irritated sigh, “Well, why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“Because I thought you would remember where you had placed all of your cookware, since we’ve only been staying here an entire week.”
He watched as she let out a frustrated sigh and moved towards the cabinet where he said her special fry pan was. She looked back at him and gave him a knowing smile after taking the pan out of the cabinet, twirling it in her hand. After she placed the pan on the wood burning stove and made sure the firewood had already been placed inside the burning chamber, he spoke up again.
“Here, my dear… Let me help you this time. What is it that you need for ingredients?”
Anna paused as her husband came around behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning in to plant an all too brief kiss on her cheek. She turned her head to look up at him, her lips slightly parted and a faint blush beginning to form on her cheeks from the look on his face. He was wearing that gentle smile that sometimes made her blush, usually catching her off-guard whenever she was frustrated or annoyed.
“Well, you can start by getting the block of tuna and the bundle of asparagus spears out of the icebox.” She answered, turning her attention back to the stove.
“All right, my dear…”
While Kratos went to grab her desired ingredients for the main and side dishes, Anna turned a knob on the stove to light the firewood inside the burning chamber. She then reached over to grab her desired spices and seasonings, along with a fancy bottle of cooking oil. The cooking oil was a recent purchase from their travels in Triet, and she was rather excited to try it out for tonight’s special dish. After pouring a small amount into the fry pan, she placed the bottle back in its space on the counter and grabbed a small plate from one of the top cabinets. Then she sprinkled a small amount of each spice and seasoning, which included Hakonesia salt, cracked black pepper, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of lemon pepper, onto the plate.
When Kratos returned to her side with the tuna and asparagus, she grabbed her set of tongs from a container of utensils on the counter and watched as he prepared the ingredients for her. He washed his hands in the sink and then cut the block of tuna into two portioned sized pieces and handed them to her on another small plate.
“So what are you calling this dish, my dear?” Kratos asked after turning on the kitchen faucet and running the asparagus spears through the water that flowed out, before placing them on a small wooden cutting board.
“Seared Tuna and Seasoned Asparagus,” Anna replied as she began to coat each side of each piece of tuna in the blend of spices and seasonings, “I know it’s not a very clever name, but that’s the only recipe I could find for a tuna dish in one of my cookbooks.”
“Well, it sounds delicious…” He said, flashing her another gentle smile before turning his attention back to chopping off the root ends of the asparagus spears.
She visibly flushed again, “I-I hope you’ll enjoy it… I-I also came up with the spice blend for it.”
The couple fell into a comfortable silence after that, with the only sound filling the kitchen being that of the tuna pieces searing in the frying pan. Anna flipped each piece of tuna when one side appeared to be done, while Kratos seasoned the asparagus spears with some more Hakonesia salt and cracked black pepper, before handing them over to her. Then once the tuna was well done, with a light golden brown crust and slightly pinkish hue covering all sides, she placed the seasoned asparagus spears into the frying pan, letting them simmer in what was left of the cooking oil. She then took out the two tuna pieces and placed them onto two large dinner plates.
While Anna let the asparagus spears cook for a few more minutes, Kratos put the cutting board into the sink to be washed later and washed his hands again. The clock on the wall out in the living room struck four in the afternoon just as she took the asparagus spears out of the frying pan, placing an even amount onto each dinner plate with the tuna pieces.
“I hope you don’t mind if we have our Valentine’s Day dinner a little earlier this year. I… have something special in mind for you- I mean us, for dessert later.” She said, turning towards him, a faint blush still permeating her features.
“Not at all, my dear. I’ll go set the table then…” He said as he pulled her into his arms, embracing her tightly while planting a kiss on top of her head, letting his lips linger for a time.
After setting their two plates down at their small dining room table, she went back into the kitchen to look for her husband’s expensive bottle of whiskey. Once she found it, she got out two high ball glasses and a couple of ice cubes from the frozen side of the icebox, then placed a cube in each glass. She poured an equal amount of whiskey into each glass, filling the glass until the liquid just barely fully submerged the ice cube. When she made her way back to the dining table, with their two drinks in hand, she found that Kratos had already finished setting the table and also lit the two unscented candles that were placed at the center of the table.
“I thought you were going to have wine tonight, my dear.” He looked at her slightly quizzically as she handed him one of the glasses and set hers down next to her plate.
“You know I don’t have preference for alcohol. I’ll drink almost anything. Plus, I wanted to try this tonight since today’s a special day. You bought this a few months back when we were in Palmacosta, right?” She inquired as he set his glass down next to his plate.
“Yes I did, and I apologize for not letting you try it sooner, my dear. Ah, here, allow me…” He moved behind the back of her chair, pulling it back so she could sit down, “It’s one of the finest whiskies I’ve ever had, so I usually only have it on special occasions such as today.”
Once she sat down, he pushed her and the chair back into place then moved to sit down in his chair across from her.
“Well, I’m excited to finally try it. Now let’s eat!” She exclaimed, fork in hand as she dug into the tuna.
The two ate and drank in pleasant conversation for the next hour, with Anna letting out a giggle every time Kratos tried to change any subject involving himself. He couldn’t help but smile at her every time she laughed, the sound being music to his ears, and one that he hoped he would never get tired of hearing. Once the two were finished with their meals and their drinks, she stood up from the table and began to gather their dishes, utensils and glasses.
He stood up and reached out his hand, taking her hand in his, to stop her.
“Wait, my dear… Allow me to clean the dishes tonight.”
She squeezed his hand, looking up directly into his eyes, and gave him a knowing smile. “All right, that’ll give me a little more time to make our dessert.”
Kratos pulled her into his arms again, embracing her tightly before leaning down to kiss her with one hand cupping her cheek. When the two parted, he embraced her again, his lips also finding the crown of her head again, where they lingered for a time.
“Thank you for the meal, my dear. It was wonderful…” He murmured against the top of her head.
She returned his embrace, her fingers digging into the fabric of his midnight hued turtleneck, “Better than last year?”
“Of course…”
Anna pulled back to look up at him again, wearing a sheepish smile, “You say that every year, though…”
He leaned down to plant a lingering kiss on her forehead, “And I mean it every year, my dear…”
After leaning down to kiss her again, the two parted and made their way back into the kitchen with their plates, utensils and glasses. While Kratos began washing their dishes in the kitchen sink, Anna set out to begin making dessert, heading toward the icebox. From the refrigerated side of the icebox, she took out an array of fruit, which included strawberries, raspberries, grapes, and a small melon. She chopped the melon into smaller, portion sized pieces and then arranged those pieces, along with the rest of the fruit, onto a small serving tray. By the time she found the three types of chocolate blocks, dark, milk, and white, that she needed from inside one of the top cabinets, Kratos had already finished washing and drying their dishes. He quickly placed them back into their respective drawers and cabinets, and then started to make his way out of the kitchen and into the living room.
“I’ll be on the couch in the living room if you need me, my dear…” Kratos said, stopping to look back at her and give her a gentle smile before continuing on.
Anna nodded, returning his smile before watching him walk out of the kitchen. She let out a relieved sigh as she took out a special pot and placed it on the stove. The dessert she was making this year for them was supposed to be a surprise to him, especially with the way she planned on presenting it to him. After turning on the stove again and placing the block of dark chocolate into the pot, she made her way over to the archway that led into the living room to see what her husband was doing while the chocolate was melting in the pot. He was sat comfortably on the couch in front of their now lit fireplace, reading a book that she couldn’t quite read the title of, but figured it must be one of the books they took from the Tower of Mana a few years ago from the focused look on his face.
She also noticed that he was wearing those glasses that he liked to wear whenever he read something that he really wanted to focus on, but before she could dwell on the heat now beginning to stir in between her legs from the way he looked, the smell of chocolate in the kitchen brought her back to the task at hand. After making her way back to the stove and making sure the dark chocolate was completely melted inside the pot, she took out a small bowl from one of the cabinets and poured the melted chocolate into it. Then she dipped a couple pieces of fruit from each kind on the serving tray, into the melted dark chocolate before placing them back on the tray. Once both the milk and white chocolate blocks were melted in the pot, making sure to wipe down the inside of the pot after melting each block of chocolate, she poured them into individual bowls and dipped a few pieces of each kind of fruit into them as well, until every piece of fruit on the small serving tray was covered in one of the three kinds of chocolate.
Anna let out another relieved sigh after placing the pot and dirty bowls into the sink to be washed later. Now it was time for the part that she was somewhat apprehensive about, her plan to present the tray of chocolate covered fruit to him. She made her way out of the kitchen through the other archway and down a hallway that led directly to their bedroom. After noticing that the bright red colored apron she set on the bed earlier was still in its place, she quickly took off all her clothes and put the apron on before making her way out of the bedroom and back into the kitchen through the hallway. While in the kitchen, she managed to tie the apron around her waist before grabbing the tray with both hands and delicately carrying it out of the kitchen. Kratos was still sitting on the couch with his eyes still completely focused on his book, and still wearing those glasses, as she made her way over to him.
He looked up from his book once she stood directly in front of him, her body blocking much of the light coming from the fireplace behind her.
“There you are, my dear.” He placed his book down next to him, his eyes landing on the variety of chocolate covered fruit before him, “Looks like dessert is-”
His lips parted and he felt his mouth begin to water as his eyes slowly traveled up from the tray to her chest, before landing on her face, which was completely flushed crimson. The low-cut collar of the apron accentuated her cleavage, and he could see even in the dim light of the room her hardened nipples poking through the fabric of the apron. Before he could say anything more, she put the tray of chocolate covered fruit down next to him and immediately moved to straddle his waist. She took off his reading glasses and placed them next to the tray, then she leaned down and kissed him hard, her hands cupping his face and her tongue meeting his. He let out a moan against her lips, his hands falling to her hips as he felt his manhood instantly harden and strain against his pants.
When the two parted moments later, he looked up at her breathlessly, their faces still just an inch apart from each other.
“It would appear that I’m now overdressed, my dear…” Kratos spoke softly in between heavy pants of breath.
“Yes you are…” Her hands roved up and down his chest, feeling his muscles twitch slightly through the fabric of his turtleneck.
He quickly reached down towards the hem of his turtleneck and pulled it up and over his head in one swift motion before tossing the garment behind him off the couch. Her hands roamed up and down over his chiseled and sculpted chest as she leaned down to capture his lips in hers once again. She trailed her lips from the corner of his mouth, to his jawline, and all the way down the column of his neck to his nape, grinding her womanhood against the straining bulge inside his pants.
“Anna, please, my dear…” He gasped as she continued to lavish him with kisses against the nape and column of his neck, her hips still grinding on him, “I… I need to be inside you…”
She let out a soft giggle against the pulse point of his neck, her hands drifting down to his waist to deftly unbuckle his belt, then unbutton and unzip his pants. He let out a shuddering breath as she freed his thick, throbbing length from the confines of his boxer-briefs, his hands gripping her thighs tightly. After hovering and angling the entrance of her womanhood over the wet tip of his pulsating manhood, she quickly lowered herself onto him, until he was fully seated inside her. A low hiss escaped from his lips as he felt her tight walls flutter and squeeze around his length. The two hadn’t made love since the start of the new year due to being on the run and traveling from inn to inn every three days or so, and he had secretly hoped that tonight would finally present the right moment for them.
He relished in the warmth of her inner walls as she leaned down to kiss him briefly before shifting slightly to lean down and grab the tray of chocolate covered fruit. She held it between them, taking a strawberry from off the tray and placing it into his eagerly awaiting mouth. The two fed each other a piece of the chocolate covered fruit for the next half hour or so, exchanging kisses in between and savoring in the taste of the various kinds of chocolate and fruit on each other’s tongues. Once every piece of the chocolate covered fruit had been consumed, she set the tray back down beside them before placing her hands on his bare shoulders.
Kratos reached up from where his hands were on her thighs to briefly cup her face before bringing her down for another kiss. When the two parted a few moments later, Anna leaned down to touch her forehead against his, her hands gently caressing the sides of his neck. He let out a soft moan as her inner walls continued to clench around his manhood, his hands trailing down her torso to gently rub her thighs. Her breath hitched as she felt the tip of his length press against the sweet spot at the center of her core.
“I can’t wait anymore, my dear…” He groaned, his hands now gripping onto her thighs once again.
“Neither can I…” She whispered breathlessly, beginning to rock her hips back and forth.
Her hands held onto his shoulders tightly as she began to slowly bounce up and down atop his manhood, feeling his tip repeatedly hit her sweet spot. She let out a loud and breathy moan as she gyrated and angled her hips, increasing the pace of her up and downward thrusts on his pulsating length. He felt her muscles continue to squeeze and clamp down around his manhood the closer she came to the edge of her release.
“Kratos…” Anna moaned loudly against the crook of his neck when she came moments later.
His breath hitched as she continued to moan and whimper his name while still slowly bouncing atop his length, drawing out her release further. A few moments after her, with one final downward slam of her hips, he tipped over the edge and came, spilling his entire load into her.
“Anna…” Kratos groaned, his hips thrusting upward against hers, making sure he emptied every last drop of his spent inside her.
He wrapped his arms around her after they both stilled against each other, his lips finding the nape of her neck and peppering a few languid kisses there. The two held each other as they came down from their highs, with both of them nestling their faces into the crooks of their necks. She brought her head up when her breathing steadied to lean down and kiss him gently, before pulling back to gaze down into his half-lidded eyes.
“So, was that better than the dessert I made?” She asked, leaning down to plant a quick kiss on his cheek.
“Hmm… The dessert was wonderful, my dear. Though I think it simply complemented our love making earlier.” He replied, giving her a gentle smile, his hands reaching up cup and caress her cheeks.
“What about how I presented the dessert? Would you like to see me in nothing but an apron again?” She touched her forehead against his again.
“I certainly wouldn’t be against it, my dear.” He brought her head down and kissed her hard, his tongue pressing against hers.
The two exchanged kisses for a time in front of the crackling of the fire from the fireplace. She could feel that his manhood was still completely stiff against her slowly fluttering walls still occasionally clenching around him.
“Hmm… It feels like you could go another round. How about we continue this in the bedroom?” She murmured against his lips.
“Indeed, we should, my dear…” He said, kissing her again, running his hands and fingers through her hair.
A short while later, after the two shed the rest of their clothes, her apron along with his pants and undergarments thrown onto the floor in the same pile where the rest of her clothes were, he found himself with his back pressed against the mattress, his spiky, auburn locks splayed out on the pillow. He looked up at her with mesmerized, half-lidded eyes, completely entranced by the bounce of her small, but perky breasts as she rode him hard, her hips gyrating as she lost herself in the feel of his thick length against her inner walls. His fingers dug into the bed sheet as she increased her pace, trying to steady herself by pressing her hands against his chiseled abs. She moaned loudly as she began slamming her hips down onto his, causing the bed to creak under the weight of her thrusts.
He let out a soft moan before sitting up to hold her, his arms wrapping loosely around her while his lips found hers. She continued her relentless pace as the angle shifted from him sitting up, and the tip of his manhood found her sweet spot once again. Her hands gripped his shoulders as his lips trailed from the corner of her mouth, down her cheek to her jawline, and all the way down the column of her neck. His lips left a heated trail of soft kisses down from the nape of her neck to the valley in between her breasts.
After lavishing equal attention on each of her breasts, his lips and tongue languidly sucking and licking each of her hardened nipples, he brought his head up and pulled her down for another kiss. She continued to rock her hips against his in a relentless, almost erratic fashion, with more loud moans and whimpers escaping from her lips. Then mere moments later, and with one final downward slam of her hips, they both came at the same time, their toes curling and backs arching forward while crying out each other’s names and wrapping their arms around each other in a tight, warm and sweaty embrace. He completely emptied another heavy load of his spent into her, slowly rocking his hips to make sure he released every last drop.
The couple continued to loosely hold onto each other for a time as they came down from their highs. She languidly kissed his cheeks while he ran his fingers through her short brown locks.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Kratos!” Anna exclaimed through soft, ragged breaths against the shell of his ear, “I love you…”
“Thank you, my dear… I love you too.” Kratos kissed her temple, letting his lips linger for a time, “Are you all right, though?”
“Just exhausted is all…” She pulled back from the side of his head to gaze down at him.
He gave her a knowing smile, “Then let’s go to sleep a little early tonight.”
After giving her a chaste kiss, he laid back down on the bed and rolled over onto his side, taking her with him, their bodies still intimately connected. She nestled her head against his chest as he pulled the covers up over them, and quickly fell into a deep slumber, too tired to say anything more. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, holding her close and making a mental note to start planning what his White Day gift to her would be the following morning, before joining her in slumber a short while later. The two would stay in this position, in peaceful slumber, for the rest of the night, under the dim light of the candle lit lanterns on their nightstands.
Summary:Sometimes Anna just wants to play with Kratos’ hair before intimacy.
Author’s Note: So this fic is basically just inspired mostly by this art. I just… wanted to write something about it (I also just wanted to try writing another M rated fic, since it’s been a while). I just wanted to write something that was both spicy and fluffy as well…
Anna ran her fingers through Kratos’ spiky, auburn locks, gently ruffling and tousling the thick strands of his hair, his face a mere inch away from hers. She always loved how soft his hair felt, and sometimes she just couldn’t help but run her hands and fingers through it; though occasionally, she did it just to tease him. He was currently leaning over her on the bed, his vest completely unzipped, along with his pants and belts unbuckled. His bare and very muscular arms held him up on his hands and forearms as he leaned over her.
“What are you doing, my dear?” Her husband inquired as she continued to play with his hair, her fingers running through each strand.
His cheek was nearly pressed against hers and his eyes were closed as he patiently waited for her to stop playing with his hair.
“I’ve always loved how soft your hair feels. Sometimes I just want to play with it and run my hands though it.” She replied while running her hands and fingers through his tresses one last time.
He gave her cheek a languid kiss before letting out an impatient grunt.
“All right, all right…” She spoke playfully before letting out a loud giggle, ceasing her ministrations with his hair and placing her hands behind his head, weaving her fingers together, “Now, where were we?”
His lips were on hers within seconds, kissing her slowly and roughly. She could feel his impatience in the way his lips moved against hers. He pulled back a few moments later just as her back hit the mattress, gazing down at her with gentle, half-lidded eyes as he pulled off his vest and tossed it off to the side.
“Anna, please… I…” He spoke gruffly, voice dripping with need, and his eyes roving up and down her bright orange colored blouse.
Her wrists were gently pinned against the mattress by his strong and calloused hands. She looked up at him as the pink on his cheeks increased tenfold, briefly blinking in surprise before giving him a knowing smile. He pulled his hands away so she could take off her blouse, tossing it off to the side while he made quick work of taking off her pale yellow colored slacks and undergarments. After letting his pants and belts fall to the floor, along with taking off his undergarments, he crawled all the way onto the mattress, where he cupped her face with both hands and his lips found hers.
He took her slowly and gently, trying not to let his impatience get the better of him, as his lips moved from the corner of her mouth and trailed across her cheek and down the column of her neck. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him and her legs around his waist, burying her face into the crook of his neck as he slowly began to rock his hips against hers. Soft moans and whimpers escaped her lips as he gradually increased the pace and intensity of his thrusts. The bed creaked softly under the steady rhythm of his gentle but powerful thrusts. Then with one final thrust of his hips, he came, deeply moaning out her name against the crook of her neck.
Her toes curled and her back arched forward as she came moments later, his name falling from her lips in loud moans and whimpers. His hips continued to gently thrust against hers, their breaths heavy and ragged. He stilled his hips and brought his head up to gaze down into her half-lidded eyes with his own, propping himself up on his forearms and gently cupping her face with his hands.
“My dear…” Kratos said, giving her a gentle smile while his thumbs brushed across her cheeks.
Anna met his eyes, her hands trailing up from the small of his back to ruffle his spiked hair, letting each strand run through her fingers. She let out a soft giggle as he became flustered, playing with his hair for just a few moments longer.
“What is it, my dear?” He questioned, sheepishly averting his gaze from hers.
“Oh, it’s just… It’s just unusual for you to be so impatient when it comes to intimacy.” She answered, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck and giving him another knowing smile, “Are you satisfied now?”
He closed his eyes, another bright pink blush now permeating his features, “I… I suppose I could go another round.”
She nodded, moving one of her hands to cup his cheek, “I figured as much… It seemed like you were holding yourself back.”
He opened his eyes and finally met her gaze again, “You… You don’t want me to?”
She nodded her head again, rubbing her thumb across his cheek, “Correct…”
Kratos leaned down to capture her lips for an all too brief moment before pulling back to look her again, “All right then… I won’t hold back this time.”
Anna trailed her hands through his hair again and pulled him down for another kiss. She then let her hands and arms fall to the surface of the mattress, where he gently pinned her wrists with his hands. He then took her again, but roughly this time, driving his hips into hers, his face contorted in a look of sheer pleasure. Her half-lidded eyes watched him as he closed his eyes and let himself fully give into his need for her, his spiked locks bouncing up and down in time with each thrust.
She wrapped her legs around his waist again to steady herself, closing her eyes as pleasure took complete control of her. Loud moans and whimpers fell from their lips as the bed underneath them began to creak loudly, his hips pounding into hers roughly and purposefully. The two came together, both loudly crying and moaning out each other’s names, a few moments later. And after a few more slow thrusts of his hips, he pulled back and rolled over onto his back, bringing the comforter up over them. His lips met hers as she turned her body to face him.
“Now are you satisfied?” Anna asked in a murmur against his lips, pressing one hand to his chest while her other ran through and gently ruffled his hair again.
“Yes, my dear…” Kratos answered in a murmur against her lips before deepening their kiss.
He wrapped his arms around her in a tight, but gentle embrace, letting his lips trail across her cheeks and down both sides of her neck. She laughed softly as his lips peppered kisses up and down the column of her neck and across the entirety of her face, which included her cheeks, forehead, and nose, before finally meeting her lips again. Her hand that was pressed against his chest, slowly moved up to cup his cheek.
“I love you, my dear…” Kratos spoke after pulling back and touching his forehead to hers.
“I love you too, Kratos…” Anna said, brushing her thumb across his cheek.
He kissed her chastely before letting his hands fall to the small of her back and pulled her even closer to him. The couple nestled underneath the covers while holding each other close. She snuggled up against the crook of his neck while his lips found the crown of her head. Her eyes quickly slipped shut as sleep overcame her. His lips lingered at the top of her head for a time before he too joined her in slumber. They would stay in this position for the rest of the night, wrapped in a warm and cozy embrace.
Summary:When Kratos becomes gravely injured while battling some supposedly easy monsters, it’s up to Anna and Noishe to take action and nurse him back to health.
Author’s Note: This is basically just this Fictober 2021 prompt, but with a few slight grammar and word changes, plus a proper title and summary. I was really proud, and still am, of how I wrote this fic, so I felt I should post it as its own standalone fic. It’s probably one of my favorite pieces that I wrote last year…
Kratos had truly been careless this time.
What was supposed to be an easy battle with a swarm of Giant Bees, had now turned into a life or death situation. He had left both his crystal and his supplies back at the cabin a few hundred feet behind him, foolishly thinking he could deal with the normally easy swarm of pest-like monsters that had invaded the area the past few days, without them. Everything appeared to be going smoothly until three of them stung him, their jagged blade-like stingers piercing him in three places, leaving him badly wounded and nauseous from poison. Somehow he had managed to defeat the swarm before collapsing to the ground, wincing as he looked up at a clearing in the tops of the trees, his head feeling like it was spinning.
He stared at the cloudless blue sky through the clearing, trying and somehow succeeding to fight off the intense urge to roll over and vomit from the poison. His wounds were bleeding, and he unfortunately had nothing on him to stop it. After laying on the ground for a few more moments, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart and his breathing, he managed to stand up and slowly make his way back to the cabin, one hand clutching the wound at his side, and the other clutching the one on his thigh. As he limped his way across the dirt covered ground, he began to feel faint, and he hoped he would at least make it back inside the cabin before he lost consciousness.
Meanwhile, back inside the cabin, Anna had just finished off a big breakfast consisting of the works, which included bacon, sausage, ham, and eggs, along with toast, waffles, and pancakes. She hoped it would be enough to satisfy the growing child within her for at least the next few hours. Being six months pregnant had its downsides, she thought, as she sat at the small dining table and sipped on the rest of her hot cup of non-caffeinated tea. In addition to waking up with whole back pain every morning, she was almost constantly hungry, needing to eat every few hours or so just to satisfy not only herself, but her child too. Fortunately for her, Kratos was more than willing and able to help relieve her back pain using a few simple healing techniques of his, so it was mainly the constant hunger that she was irritated with.
Speaking of her husband, he should’ve been back by now, she thought. He said it wouldn’t take more than an hour to take care of those monsters in the area, so what was taking him? After finishing the rest of her tea, she gingerly stood up from her chair, using the table to support herself, and made her way over to the window right next to the front door, peering out at the forest outside. Off in the distance, she saw a figure slowly approaching, and it appeared that they were limping and potentially badly wounded. As she looked closer, she noticed the spiky, auburn locks of none other than her husband, Kratos. She let out an audible, horrified gasp, and looked over at Noishe, who was laying on the floor next to the sofa, carefully watching her.
“Noishe! Something’s wrong with Kratos! We have to go now!” She made her way over to the door as fast as she could.
The dog-like protozoan’s ears perked up at the sound of his loyal human companion’s name, and at the sound of her worried and raised voice. He stood up and quickly followed behind her, gently nudging her out the door with his snout. Noishe trotted along slightly ahead of her as she did her best to move as fast as her body in its current state would allow her. Kratos looked up from the dirt covered ground at his wife and their family pet as they approached.
“Kratos… What happened?” She asked, tears in her eyes, her voice shaking.
“Anna… Noishe…” His voice was gruff and hoarse, and he began to feel light-headed once again.
Anna looked him over and the shape he was currently in, barely managing to stop herself from breaking down into sobs at the sight of her badly injured husband. He was hunched over and bleeding in three places, the upper part of his right arm, his left side, and his left thigh. His bad arm was clutching the wound on his left side, and his face was pale. She couldn’t tell from just looking at him whether he had been poisoned or not.
That is until he fell forward towards her as she stood in front of him, his vision beginning to blur. Noishe managed to swiftly move behind him and grab him gently by the collar and pull him up before he could fall on top of her.
“Kratos! Stay with me…” She tearfully whispered, her voice still shaking, “Noishe, help me carry him!”
A few moments later, with his wounded right arm now draped over Noishe’s neck, his hand gripping as tightly as he could onto the dog-like creature’s collar, and his left arm wrapped around his wife’s neck, the three made their way back to the cabin. About a quarter of an hour later, when the three finally made it to the front door, she released him, allowing Noishe to help him inside. She followed after them and immediately made her way as quickly as she could to their bedroom to prepare the bed for him to lay down on. Kratos limped into the room moments later and managed to lay down on the bed without assistance, letting out a groan and a sigh of relief as he did. Anna sat down next to him from where he lay at the edge of the bed, letting out a shaky breath as she took his hand in hers to keep him conscious and aware.
“Noishe, could you grab the bottle of miracle gels and a panacea bottle from our supply bag?” She asked of the dog-like protozoan, trying to keep her voice level while continuing to hold and gently squeeze Kratos’ hand.
The dog-like creature barked affirmatively and trotted across the room to their supply bag, using his snout to open the flap of the bag and retrieve the items she requested, handing them to her one at a time with his mouth.
“Thank you, Noishe! You’re such a good boy! I’ll be sure to make something nice for you for dinner tonight.” She patted him on the head, gently stroking his soft fur and giving him a few scritches behind his large, pointy ears.
Noishe barked happily and sat down next to her, watching her as she temporarily released Kratos’ hand and unscrewed the cap of the bottle containing the gels, taking one out and leaning over as best she could to place it in his mouth. He chewed on the berry flavored gel slowly, meeting her concerned and tearful gaze with exhausted, half-lidded eyes, gently squeezing her hand to reassure her. Once she witnessed him swallow, she wordlessly handed him the panacea bottle, which he downed as quickly as he could given his current condition.
It didn’t take long for him to feel the effects of the gel and panacea bottle. The gel quickly stopped the flow of blood from his wounds and began to slowly repair any internal damage he received from being stung by the venomous insects, while the panacea bottle relieved him of the poison and associated nausea slowly coursing through him. He began to relax, letting out a sigh and sitting up to reach out and cup her cheek.
“Thank you, my dear… I apologize for worrying you. I can take it from here…” He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.
“No, Kratos, I’m going to go change and grab a washcloth and the bandage wrap from the bathroom and get you cleaned up myself. No arguments, just stay here and wait.” Her brows furrowed, looking away from him as she began to slowly stand up.
He gave her a knowing smile, still too tired to argue or protest as he took her hand to help her stand. She moved over to the closet on the other side of the bed and took out another loose fitting pull-over dress before heading into the bathroom and closing the door behind her. Once inside, she slowly pulled off the pull-over dress she was currently wearing and tossed it into the hamper next to the door, making a mental note to use the other kind of laundry soap they had to clean the blood stains that trailed down the right side of the dress when doing laundry later in the day. Next, she pulled on the clean pull-over dress and grabbed a washcloth and the bandage wrap, which were conveniently placed near the washbasin. After completely soaking the washcloth with water in the washbasin, she shut the water off and exited the bathroom as quickly as she could.
Kratos was laying on the bed in nothing but his boxer-briefs, which were also torn and bloodied on his left thigh from being stung, when she came out of the bathroom; his bloodied and torn outfit now in the other hamper that was placed by their bedroom door. Noishe was curled up and fast asleep by the wall on the other side of their bed. She smiled when she saw the supply pack next to him on the bed.
“I thought you might need it… The small knife is in the pocket on the side of the bag.” He spoke, his tone matter-of-fact, as she moved around the bed to sit beside him again.
She nodded, taking out the small knife from the pocket he said it would be in, and immediately got to work. After carefully cutting off the blood stained part of his boxer-briefs, she quickly cleaned the dried blood around the wound on his left thigh using the washcloth. Then she began wrapping his thigh with the bandage wrap, cutting off the excess before sealing it. He sat up as she began the same routine with the wounds on the left side of his torso and on his upper right arm, wordlessly watching her careful movements and the determined look on her face.
When she was finished, she carefully looked over her work and let out a loud sigh of relief. Kratos reached out to caress her cheek, and that was all it took for her emotional walls to come crumbling down. She broke down into loud sobs, her body shaking as he pulled her into a tight embrace, letting her cry on his shoulder while his hands began to rub her back.
“Kratos… You could’ve died! How… How could you be so careless?” Her arms wrapped around him as she continued to sob onto his shoulder.
“I know, my dear, I know. I was careless, and for that I am truly sorry. It won’t happen again. I apologize again for worrying you and making you cry.” He kissed the side of her head, letting his lips linger as one hand continued rubbing her back, and the other cradled her head as she continued to cry on his shoulder.
Kratos let her cry for as long as she wanted, only releasing her from his embrace when she started to pull back. Anna rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands, looking over at Noishe, who was still fast asleep in the corner on the other side of the room, grateful that her sobbing hadn’t woken him up.
“I should probably go clean this bedding and our clothes and then go make some lunch for us…” She spoke softly, her voice sounding somewhat vulnerable and tired, as she began to stand up from the bed.
He reached out and took her hand to stop her, “I’ll help you… You’ve done far too much work already with taking care of me and making yourself breakfast, my dear. I can rest later after we have lunch…”
She smiled gratefully down at him as he helped her stand. The two then gathered the bedding and their clothes from both hampers, and headed into the bathroom to wash their clothes in the tub, with her remembering to use the special laundry soap for their blood stained clothes and bed linens. Once they were finished, the couple hung their clothes and bed linens up to dry on two of the towel racks placed on the wall near the door. Anna then left the two rooms to head into the kitchen to start making lunch, while Kratos went to change the bed linens and throw on his nightshirt and another pair of boxer-briefs. He then went to help her make lunch, with her making his, a simple sandwich, while he made hers, a much larger sandwich with an array of seasonal vegetables on the side.
By the time the two had finished their lunch, Noishe had left their bedroom to finish his nap near the sofa. When she was just about done helping him wash their dishes in the sink, he came around behind her, wrapping his arms around her.
“Come to bed with me, my dear…” His lips trailed down her neck, sending shivers down her spine, “I am sure you need the rest more than I do.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea, though it seems like you have other plans for me first.” She tilted her head back to give him better access to the nape of her neck.
“Hmm… Correct. I would like to properly thank you for saving me…” He murmured in between open-mouthed kisses against her neck.
With that, he led her back into their bedroom and closed the door behind him. She sat down at the edge of the bed and his lips met hers, letting out a moan as it turned passionate, his hands traveling down to the hem on the skirt of her dress. He hiked up the skirt of her dress as he knelt down in front of her. A few moments later, his name was falling from her lips in whimpers and gasps, one hand in his hair, and the other gripping and digging into the comforter as she rocked her hips against his face that was in between her legs.
The two laid in bed a short while later after he made love to her again, satisfying not only himself, which was something she insisted on, but her again as well. He kissed the side of her head as his hand cradled her protruding stomach propped up on an extra pillow underneath her. Her hand covered his as she quickly fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from all of the chaos that happened earlier in the day.
Kratos softly and slowly trailed kisses down her neck, letting his lips linger for a time on each kiss before murmuring against the nape of her neck, “I love you, Anna, and I promise that what happened earlier, won’t happen ever again. Not only for your sake… but for our child as well.”
Then he fell asleep, quickly closing his eyes and burying his face in her hair. The couple would ultimately sleep for a few hours, a brief respite before having to take on the rest of the day.
The reveal for this year’s prompts has finally arrived! This year’s promo art and prompt list theme was inspired by the Casino prompt!
Credits for this year’s title page with promo art and prompt list graphics go to @moldy-mold, and the Japanese translation of the prompts goes to @uk_kiwoba ! Thank you so, so much for all of your help this year and the last couple of years with this event!
The prompts and their corresponding dates in both English and Japanese are in the list that follows:
And to those of you who have participated in or watched this event over the last three years, thank you all so much as well! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
