He groans as if he's enjoying this more than I am, and the vibration of his voice only adds to the sensation. His hands grip my hips, keeping me steady as he explores with lips and tongue, learning what makes me moan, what makes me tremble. Through our tether, I feel his own arousal building with every sound I make, every shudder he draws from me.

The echo of his emotions is... interesting.

I feel hints of what he's feeling. I sense just how deeply he's enjoying this and how much I turn him on. I've never felt so fucking wanted.

The rain falls harder in response to my rising emotions, droplets sluicing down my heated skin. When he finds that perfect spot, circling it with relentless precision, my knees buckle. If he wasn't holding me so tightly, I would sink down and melt beneath the waters.

"I'm close," I warn, my voice breaking. "Too close. I want⁠—"

He pulls back, his eyes meeting mine, lips glistening. "What do you want, Nessa? Tell me."

"You," I manage, tugging at his shoulders. "Inside me. Please."

His hands slide to my ass, lifting me effortlessly in the water. I wrap my legs around his waist, gasping as the position brings his hardness against my core.

"You're sure?" he asks, searching my face. "We can wait. Do this properly, after the Crucible, when we have time⁠—"

I silence him with a kiss, pouring everything I feel into it—the want, the need, the fear that there might not be an after. When I pull back, his eyes are blazing.

"I need this," I tell him. "I need you. Now."

His hands shift, one moving to support my lower back, the other positioning himself at my entrance. "Look at me," he commands softly.

I open my eyes, meeting his golden gaze. The vulnerability there matches my own—the fear of loss, the desperate need for connection, the knowledge that after tomorrow, everything could change. In this moment, we're just Raith and Nessa, stripped of all pretense, all armor.

"I need you to be sure," he says, his voice tight with restraint. "Because once I start, I don't think I'll be able to stop."

In answer, I reach between us, gripping his thickness in my hand and roll my hips forward, teasing him with my body. "I've never been more sure of anything."

Raith nods. “There’s a trick fires can use… a little heat in the right place and we’re sterile for a day or two.” I feel a flare of his magic in the air and his lips curve slightly.

I chew my lower lip. “Have you… used that trick before?”

“No. You’re the only one I’ve wanted since I stepped foot on this campus.”

His words are like music to me. I thread my fingers behind his neck, urging him closer, breath heavy on my lips. “Please. Fuck me, Raith.”