Love you most

Jos's lust-heavy eyes were trained on the wide shoulders between her thighs. Her hands knotted in the sheets as his gentle assault of her body continued at an agonizingly slow pace. She fought against the trimmers surging through her entire body. "Arei, please… I… I can't…" She could feel her cheeks flush as his hungry gaze met hers without pausing in his feast. Instead, a smile curved his lips and he turned up the intensity, working his mouth and tongue against her delicate folds with eager fervor. She wiggled against his hold, but each move only brought more shockwaves of pleasure. "Arei! Please, no more!"

Muffled ringing sounded over Jos's heavy pants. "You- ah- should get th-ah-at." She pleaded, trying her best to wiggle free of his powerful grip. "Could be ehh-portant!" Her toes curled as she struggled to free her over-stimulated body from him.

Arei chuckled as he pushed himself up and wiped her moisture from his lips. He bent and fished his phone from his discarded slacks. His eyes widened as he read the display. "Ah shit, I forgot all about the others. Oops." He sent Jos a grin as he answered the call. "Hey, sorry… yeah, she's fine…" His eyes twinkled as he watched her pull the sheet around her naked body. "Yeah, sure kid, no problem. Give me a second." He brought the phone away from his ear and pressed a button turning it to speaker. "Alright, kid. She's right here."

"Who is it?" Jos asked in confusion.

Russ nearly collapsed with relief when Jos's soft familiar voice sounded over the phone line. He clutched the phone to his chest as he turned and sent Shelly a relieved nod. He collapsed into the window seat beside her and flipped the call over to speaker as well. "Jos…"

"Jos! It's us! We were so worried when you never came back. What happened?!" Shelly cried out as she leaned over the phone Russ held between them.

Jos's shocked eyes met Arei's. "I… well… I'm not sure exactly what happened. I fell asleep I guess… and somehow ended up back home…"

Shelly and Russ exchanged confused looks. "Home? But how? That's almost the other side of the island!"

Jos looked to Arei for answers, but the unsaid questions in his eyes told her there had to be more to the events of the night than she herself understood. She moved her attention back to the phone as she tightened her hold on the sheet. "Um… I don't really know…" She forced a smile. "But I'm fine guys… I promise."

Russ's brows furrowed. "Jos, do you remember anything from earlier tonight?" His worried eyes moved around the room to the others that had been anxiously waiting as well. "Do you remember talking to Drake… to April?"

Drake clenched his jaw as everyone's attention moved to him.

Jos furrowed her brows as she thought back to the strange events of the night. "I do recall talking to Drake… but to be honest I'd thought I'd only spoken to April in that weird dream…"

Drake shook his head as everyone in the room looked to him for answers. "I should talk to April first." He whispered so that only the people in the room could hear. Some protested while others agreed, filling the room with hushed chatter.

Russ lifted his hand to silence everyone before finally speaking up. "Jos, you didn't dream it. April was found out on the cliffs earlier. She's still in a coma-like sleep as we speak."

Jos's eyes widened. "I… I don't…"

Arei finally interrupted. "It's getting late. They're both safe now… we'll get to the bottom of the rest tomorrow or the next day. Get some rest all of you… especially you kid, tomorrow's going to be a big day."

"Yeah… I know…" Russ's voice trailed off for a brief pause. "Jos… are you sure you're alright?"

Jos's eyes were locked with Arei's as she nodded. She knew Arei could read the storm of emotions whirling within her gaze, but she forced a smile as she nodded to the phone. "Yes, of course. Don't worry about me guys. As Arei said, get some rest. You too Shell, especially you! I love you guys. I can't wait to see you guys all decked out tomorrow, but all those fancy clothes are going to look like shit if you're all dead-tired!"

Shelly forced a laugh. "You're probably right." She slapped Russ's shoulder loudly. "We'll see you tomorrow then." Her troubled eyes held her brother's worried gaze. He was still so easy to read. She shook her head silently. "Sleep well, Jos. Good night."

"Good night… and don't worry. I'll not let her out of my sight tonight." Arei sent Jos a teasing wink.

"Good night." Jos muttered as Arei moved to end the call.

Arei tossed the phone onto his discarded pants. He chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair. "Well… talk about a mood killer…" His eyes searched hers. "Do you really not remember what happened out on the cliffs tonight… or was it an excuse to not talk about it with them?"

Jos swallowed past the lump building in her throat. "B…both… I guess…" She tucked the corner of the sheet under her arm and began fumbling with her hands, her eyes trained on them. "If it's true that April was there tonight… and that wasn't a dream… then…"

Arei clasped his hand over hers stopping their movements. "Then what, Jos?" He already knew, but he wanted her to acknowledge the truth as well.

Her nervous gaze moved to his. "Then… Hypnos… he… he was really there tonight as well… It was him who carried me to the lagoon…" Her cheeks reddened as her guilty gaze moved back to their hands.

Arei hooked a finger under her chin moving her gaze back to his. "What happened tonight… from the time you left the palace grounds? What did he do? What did he say to you tonight?"

Jos swallowed hard as she thought back. "I needed some fresh air, so…" She blew out a sigh. "Who am I kidding…" Her anxious gaze moved to Arei. "If I can't be completely honest with you, then with who…" Her eyes held his, all pretenses melting away with the sheet she'd been clinging to, laying herself bare before him. "I felt out of place… I wanted to escape. Everyone was so happy and enjoying themselves until I came near, then a hushed awkward silence would follow… I felt like everyone's eyes were on me… it was uncomfortable and embarrassing… and I ran away…" She shrugged in surrender. "I was toeing the edge of the cliff, wallowing in my own self-pity when Drake happened by… He startled me and I lost my footing…" She gave a sarcastic laugh. "I welcomed it… hoped for the thing I'd stood there so long unable to do myself…" She bit back the tears that threatened to fall, wiping at her face as she looked away from his concerned gaze. "I'm fucking pathetic, aren't I? Even now, all I can talk about is…"

Arei caught hold of her shoulders and gave her a jarring shake. "Jos, look at me. I don't think you're pathetic at all. We've all been where you are now."

She shook her head as she tried to pull free of his hold. "No, you've not… you're always so… strong… I'm not… I'm a mess, always… I hate it… I hate me…" Angry tears streamed down her cheeks.

He tightened his hold on her shoulders. "Jos, look at me. I've been where you are. I've hated myself more often than not. I've made mistakes I never thought I'd recover from… been forced to do things…" His hand lifted to her face. He brushed a trail of tears away with the pad of his thumb. "Jos, you're not alone in all this. I'll be here for you. If you need to talk, if you need a hand to hold… even if it's something you don't think I'd want to hear… I'll still listen… I'll still be here for you."

More tears flooded her eyes as she nodded, a smile curving her lips. "I know…" She reached out to caress the short beard of his jawline, before pushing up on her knees and pressing her forehead against his. "I know you will… he showed me as much tonight…" She set back on her heels, holding his confused gaze. "I saw what it could have been like had we stayed together… had Zeus not interfered." Bitter-sweet happiness echoed in her words as she continued. "It wasn't perfect, but it made me realize that no matter what… You'll always be there… and I'll always love you…"

Arei swallowed hard. "And Hypnos showed you this? Made you realize this?"

Jos nodded. "He did…"

Arei forced a laugh past all the doubt and confusion he was feeling as he pulled her into his arms. "I should really thank him then…"

Jos giggled nervously as she nodded against his tight hold. She wiggled her arms free and wrapped them around his waist. "I love you, Arei… I've been a fool. I know that now. I've put us both through so much unnecessary heartache over my own idiotic doubts… and I know what I saw may not be real… I get that… but still… it put things in perspective…" She pressed away from him, meeting his kind, caring gaze. Her hand lifted to his face. "I realize what was really important to me… what I could live without… and what I couldn't… I can't live without you, Arei. You are-oof!" Her words were cut off when his lips collided with hers.

Arei pulled her into his lap, wrapping one arm possessively around her waist as the other slid along her sharp jaw, past the tiny lobe of her ear, and into her silky hair. He drank hungrily from her lips as if he were a man starved of sustenance for far too long. He could feel himself harden against the soft warm curves of her body, and all logic was lost to him. The hand around her waist traveled over her hip and clutched her ass firmly. He lifted her onto his shaft, still devouring her mouth with his.

Jos moaned against his lips as her body protested against the intrusion of his thick, rigid shaft. She arched and wiggled against him trying to make his entrance easier, but even as aroused and ready as her body was it still hurt. She bit into his lower lip as he pressed the cool metal ball against her heated center, his thick wide head causing a stretching, tearing sensation. "Ah… Wait!" She cried out as she pushed against his chest. She wiggled off his lap.

Arei's breaths came out in pants. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" His eyes moved around the empty room. "I… know there isn't any lube or anything in here…" He seemed in pain himself as his cock stood in protest against his stomach. He swallowed, trying to regulate his own breathing. "Would you like to- Oh…" His eyes widened as Jos pushed him backward. He caught himself with his hands as her hand gripped his shaft and her mouth came down over the head. He growled out his pleasure as her tongue flicked the bar through the head of his dick, tugging the top of the bar with her teeth as she lifted. Her hand worked his shaft eagerly, her fingers teasing each bar of his shaft with each stroke. His fingers clamped down into the mattress as she worked her mouth and hand over him spreading her saliva over every inch of his length. "Fuck, Jos…" He reached out and gently caught her head, knotting his fingers in her hair and stopping her movements. "If you don't stop, I'm going to bust in your mouth."

Jos licked her lips as she lifted her mouth from him. "I wouldn't mind…"

With a hungry growl, he pulled her lips to his. "I mind… I want to feel your tight pussy contract around my shaft while you ride me." He whispered huskily against her lips between hungry, almost painful kisses. "Make me yours, Jos. Take what you want… all of what you want, Jos."

She didn't fight against his urging guidance. She straddled his lap as she continued stroking his length. She settled herself onto his tip. When it was still too tight of a fit, she pulled away and let spit slowly fall onto the head of his cock. She rubbed it against her entrance giving her already wet pussy extra lube. Her mouth fell open as she worked him inside. She continued stroking until she was finally able to take his entire length.

Arei pulled her face back to his, swallowing her moan as she rode him. His hands altered from caressing her every curve to guiding her hips as his mouth fell to her breasts. He sucked and nipped her flesh drawing more moans from her. Every fiber of his being wanted to give her what she'd wanted so desperately. It only seemed natural to release his seed while buried so deeply inside her warm, welcoming body, but the decision was taken from him. Just as he was about to cum, Jos pushed herself off him, falling to the mattress beside him. His stunned eyes took her in as she panted heavily beside him. He shook his head in confusion. "Jos?" When she smiled back at him, he couldn't help himself. He came down over her, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. "Joslyn…" He whispered her name against her lips. "Jos…" He whispered, emotion causing the single word to break and crack.

Jos smiled up at him. "I love you… and it's important for you to be happy as well… isn't it?" Her smile widened. "You're all I need… you're enough."

Tears of joy burned his eyes. "Jos…" He lowered his lips back to hers, this time in a tender, teasing kiss. "I love you so much…"

She lifted her head, happy tears streaming down her cheeks as she pressed her forehead to his. "I love you most."