Ticklish&InLove
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Part 9: A Returning
The days and nights passed in much the same way, with Celeste learning from the fae and moving from the mentality of enduring towards beginning to anticipate their playfulness with playfulness of her own playing hide and seek when Péine, SeangÚn, Amhránaí, or Alexander would show up with that certain glint to their eye. She figured out that if she could hide away from wood, such as on the beach, when Péine tried to find her, she would often succeed, or wading in the ocean when SeangÚn looked for her, she could keep out of their sight for a while. But all it took was one tiny ant or a teeny splinter of wood for her location to come into their consciousness.
Amhránaí was trickier. He could pretty much find her anywhere and if he couldn’t single in on her specific location, he only had to sing to enchant her out of her hiding place.
Alexander of course, only came around when the sun went down, but he made up for lost time by making a game of catching her whenever she most unaware. He took his self-appointed task of teaching her to evade evening predators of both the natural kind and the supernatural, seriously. Each night he would find a way to appear, wherever she might be hiding, send her a malicious smile and proceed to give chase. Each time she was caught, he would tickle her till pleading she cried out for Dwyn who seemed only to pleased to play savior for brief moments before disappearing and letting Alexander continue with her “lessons”. But she was improving, and once it began to take 15minutes for him to track her, he congratulated her on fully learning the lessons while both, (mostly her), rested against a rock.
“But you still found me!”, she protested.
To which he shot her a grin, “Cailín beag amaideach, no mortal can hide from an immortal forever. Fifteen minutes could save your life one day if you ever encounter a carnivore natural or unnatural. Most mortals would be found in less than a minute.”, then his grin spread wider, “and I’ll tell you another secret”, he motioned for her to lean closer, “most mortals are chased down with wit, charm and flirtation as opposed to fang, claw or spear.”
Celeste’s eyes grew huge, “You mean…”
“I mean,” he said interrupting her and pulling her into his lap, “Most mortals are caught just like you have been, but you took far more work to capture than any I have seen over the centuries.” He tapped her nose playfully before poking her in the bellybutton, then listened for a good long minute as she laughed and struggled in his arms before continuing, “But don’t let that make you feel to condiment, as true ancient ones, like Dwyn and myself can usually find a mortal in seconds, less even.”
Celeste asked between giggles, “But it you fifteen minutes!”
He now fully attacked her, “Because I let you win, Cailín beag amaideach! I limited myself to what the majority of my species can do.”
Celeste’s laughter attracted the surrounding fae, including Dwyn who smiled warmly at both of them, “What? You’re torturing my beloved and didn’t invite me? For shame!”
Alexander, now bending over Celeste who had curled up in his lap shot Dwyn a conspiratorial look, “No one said you couldn’t join in!”
Celeste gasping for air between giggles looked up, “Dwyn! Help!”
But Dwyn only gave Alexander an equally devious conspiratorial look, “Don’t mind if I do, deartháir!”
Together, vaimpír and Fairy King of Mischief delighted in attacking Celeste’s body quite beyond anything she had yet experienced. With centuries of expertise guiding their hands across her soft skin, they lifted her and put her into the limo, keeping her completely unaware of anything but their tickling touches until laying her down in her own bed.
Alexander gave her deep kiss on her lips, sending her mind spinning, and her body into a deep sleep. Dwyn nodded with approval and looked down at his chosen consort. She had allowed herself, and especially her beautiful laughter, to be shared by his subjects and friends alike. She had finally surrendered her body, heart and mind into his hands to savor, torment and play with. Oh, he’d never break her heart. He promised himself that.
The two friends, past brothers in battles, with centuries of shared lovers and serving as each other’s advisors, looked from the sleeping woman to each other.
Dwyn finally broke the silence, “I don’t think I can share this one’s deepest intimacy with you, brother.”
Alexander smiled sadly “I didn’t expect that you could. But I’d be lying if I said I was the only one who would very much like to enjoy her in ways that cross brotherly conduct.”
Dwyn smiled back, “I’ve noticed. However, in exchange for feeding off the pleasure she takes from being tormented by your clever touch, will you consent to claim her so that the other vaimpír will leave her alone?”
Alexander nodded, “Better to enjoy the scent of a rose than to toss it to the wolves just because one cannot savor it fully.”
Dwyn clapped him on the back as they had done to each other over the centuries, “Good. Then I shall feel safer knowing she has your protection when she goes to New York.”
Alexander looked over at him, shocked, “You would allow her to return and live a full life to the human world?”
Dwyn sent him a devious smile, every bit as dangerous as the vaimpír’s own, “Just pity any poor soul who attempts to entice her from my arms.”
Alexander returned it with an equally vicious one of his own, “Let them try, so I might enjoy a snack now and then!”
Chuckling, the two men pulled out Celeste’s mushrooms, their brains moving at supernatural speed to understand it, then copying her handwriting on the specimens the fae had collected, mimicking her cataloging and writing style. Then, Alexander entered all the information into her computer, postdating documents as he went, and sending it off with an apology via her e-mail to Dr. Fielding that explained she hadn’t had access to e-mail and had lost her cell, he ended it tossing the printed files, memory sticks and specimens into her bag. Turning around he grinned as he listened to Dwyn speak in Celeste’s voice into Dr. Fielding’s voicemail explaining that she had completed her work early and with his permission of course, would take the next few days to recuperate before returning to the lab.
“I’ll never get used to that”, Alexander pointed a pen at Dwyn who made a silly face in reply.
Dwyn went to Celeste’s mail and pulled out two letters from wanna-be supernatural suitors, “I’ll never get used to this.”, he said tossing them at Alexander who recognized one of the letters as a young vaimpír, “I’ll talk him. Consider it a problem gone.’, and handed the other back to Dwyn.
Dwyn nodded appreciatively and opened the other letter. It was an invitation to a welcome party…in New York…in honor of Celeste’s becoming the new mycologist at the Natural History Museum in New York. But Dwyn saw something else in it, and waving his hand over it, a deep pin sparkling cloud lifted from it and jumped out him. He caught it easily and let go, turning it into dust. I had been a spell for causing lustful obsession in the one who opened the envelope.
“It seems our kind in New York are looking forward to her arrival,” Alexander smiled bitterly.
Dwyn glanced up under his brows, looking like the predator he was to most of the world, “I’ve missed a good battle. How about you, brother?”
“For you, anytime.”, the vaimpír stood up, clasping Dwyn’s hand in the battle pledge of old, then turning to her, he smiled, “For her, gladly.”
Part 10: A New Journey
Dr. Fielding had been ecstatic with Celeste’s report, eagerly showing the results of her work to the other mycologists in their department. He told her it was as if nature itself had poured its secrets onto the page and revealed their hidden existence to her. Celeste could only struggle to contain a smile as she made eye contact with the gorgeous fae who whispered with laughing eyes, hunches into Dr. Fielding’s ears. He continued to explain that he had immediately sent the report to New York after receiving it himself late Friday and the Director had responded first thing Monday morning that they wanted her.
Celeste decided to fly out and meet them, but not before Dr. Fielding insisted on introducing her to “another rising star” who would also be going to New York. “Perhaps, you two will be sisters in the adventure!”, he positively glowed, leading her up the stairs and onto the Entomology floor. “This is Dr. Seang Ún, an outstanding myrmecologist!”
Celeste stood dumbfounded as SeangÚn reached out to shake her hand, tracing a fingertip under her wrist as she did so, and making Celeste giggle.
Dr. Fielding looked surprised at Celeste, “You are so different than you were just a few weeks ago. You seem”, he leaned over closer to her, “you seem happy.”
Celeste glowed back, “Yes, I am.”, then reached over to hug SeangÚn who hugged her back, “This girl’s my sister!” Seeing the confused look on Dr. Fielding’s face she explained, “We’ve shared some adventures together, so this is a great surprise!”
Celeste almost made it on the plane, SeangÚn standing protectively on one side with Péine on the other. Sitting nearby, pretending to read a paper was Alexander. But as soon as her seat number was called, her heart began to pound and she simply couldn’t imagine a future without the mischievous Muisiriún, listening to Amhránaí’s seductive voice over a campfire as Péine and SeangÚn danced. She looked at the two of them , willingly giving up their homes which was akin to a soul giving up its body. No new pine fae would love that pine tree as fully as Péine would.
She took out her new phone and began texting to Dr. Fielding as she sat down in her seat, “Could I still be employed by the New York Natural History Museum if I was based out of Seattle? Especially as I’m going to spend 85% of my time traveling.”
He texted back immediately, “I’ll ask!”
Then as more passengers began getting on and Péine teased her to keep his mind off leaving his beloved pine tree, “I just realized you are going to be stuck between us and unable to go anywhere during this entire flight!”
Blushing, Celeste tried to ignore his tickling pokes while she looked at the incoming text..
“They said yes! They will even pay you more since you won’t be using their labs. That way you can either work out something at the Burk or create a lab of your own!”
Celeste, now giggling from pokes as Péine and SeangÚn began teasing her from both sides, texted back, “Yes! That’s what I want!”, and grabbing her purse climbed over SeangÚn so suddenly, the surprised fae let her go.
Running out the door, Celeste ran past Alexander who gave her a puzzled glance, than began walking quickly in pursuit, Péine and SeangÚn on his heels.
They couldn’t catch up to her without drawing undesired attention, but saw her slip into a cab just as they exited the airport doors.
Feeling ridiculous, they took the next one and asked him to follow her. The driver rolled his eyes, mumbled something about how the meter would be running as long as it took. SeangÚn shut him up by tossing a handful of gold coins into the front seat.
She took the cab to the Herb Farm where she waved at the surprised mushroom forager, stripping her clothes off as she ran, keeping only her shoes on.
The old man smiled and looked up at his hat where the Muisiriún sat grinning and jumping excitedly, “Well go on now. Anything is better than you jostling my hat around.” When they just covered their mouths and became extremely shy for no good reason, not moving, he took his hat off and shook it, “Get a move on you too….”
The Muisiriún were flying after her as she was disappearing into the forest…
SeangÚn was the first to fly out the door, thinking this mortal changed her intentions almost as unpredictably as a fairy.
The sky had almost no moon, so the stars shone brighter than anything on earth or sky. The moss of the forest floor looked like velvet. Random fae peered out of holes and shadows at the wild woman running past, then more peered out as they saw she was followed by two mushroom fairies, a pine fae, an ant fae and a vaimpír. It was quite the unusual sight to see….even for the fae.
Celeste ran until she found the clearing where Dwyn’s throne had been. She walked up to the huge fallen redwood’s roots, where he had sat before and touched it. “I’m yours, Dwyn. I give you my heart freely and completely.”, then leaning against the empty log, she kissed it, closing her eyes, and hearing a tiny fae giggle as it kissed her back. Slowly, she began to feel a presence, his presence and found her head leaning against his knee, “Hello, mo ghrá”, he whispered tenderly stroking her hair, “what is the meaning of this, my love?”
She stood up then, proud and looked him directly in the eye, “I choose you my king. Not as your obedient servant, but as a woman who of her own free will has given her heart.”
Dwyn, moved a finger over his lips, a secret smile forming, “And you would do this even if it means letting go of New York?”
She took a step forward, “I didn’t give up a thing, my love.”
Surprised he arched a brow at her, “Really?”
“I can have the job here, in Seattle. I can have a laboratory to study your kingdom with. But I will be paid from New York”, she paused, then sending him a mischievous grin of her own stated, “I won’t be a kept woman, my lover, not even for a king.”
Intrigued, he leaned forward, “And what else will you demand of me, mo ghrá?”
She lifted her chin, knowing she was pushing it despite his outwardly relaxed demeanor, “You were willing to let me be free enough to travel live on the other side of the continent from you…”
He opened his mouth to speak but she raised her hand, cutting him off and earning looks of shock from all the fae, but only an amused curl of his lips as she continued, “…so I need you to give me the freedom to dance, to hike, to explore experiences. You have given me much to comprehend in a very short amount of time. I need to dance without your being jealous so I can comprehend it all. I need to hike so I can meditate…”She grinned a wicked grin again, “after all, how else will I be able to get back at Péine for his mischief if I can’t visit him during park hours?” gaining a growing smile from Dwyn she continued, “and I want to explore experiences, all the kinds that come with travel. But, you should also know I have not had any lovers before you. I was a virgin.” She savored his shock at her words, “So if I am to never know any mortal lovers, you better use your centuries of experience to ensure I don’t miss a single mortal one in that department.”
Dwyn , for the first time flabbergasted, whispered, “But your stories, the images off the internet…”
She waved her hand dismissively, “The fantasies of one who could only dream due to no experiences.”
Dwyn’s smile became sly as his voice took on a deeper, seductive tone, “We shall have to fix that, my Queen.”
Celeste gaped at him, “wha –“
He stood and walked down to her, “Even in spite of every charm I could toss your way, you never surrendered your will. Despite every torture I could devise, every seduction I could fathom, even bringing a siren to help me pull the strings of your heart, you never gave up your will. And even when I attempted to seduce you by supporting your aspirations, you still skillfully sidestepped becoming a mere mortal on call for my entertainment by negotiating a win-win for yourself. You evaded three fae and a vaimpír to reach me, and now, you stand before me naked, without an ounce of self-consciousness or embarrassment. You have a fine mind, and are eager to learn and whether you realize it or not, you just saved me from engaging in battle, thanks to your choice.”
Celeste just kept looking at him, full of confusion, ‘I don’t understand…”
He raised his hand and chuckled, “I understand that the only person who can interrupt a king without incurring his wrath is a queen, and you didn’t so much as light one spark of anger.”
Then, leaning back, he smirked, ‘But…” Her heart began to beat faster, “But….”his face became so serious she didn’t even recognize it,… “But there is one thing I cannot abide…”he began to walk away.
“Dwyn!”, she called out to him before she could stop herself.
He didn’t turn around, “We’ve talked about this before.”
When he didn’t call her ‘mo ghrá’, her heart got stuck in her throat.
Then he disappeared.
She sank to her knees, tears of heartbreak falling down her face…when suddenly she felt fingertips tickling the soles of her feet through her boots. Thinking it was Péine or the Muisiriún trying to cheer her up, she jerked them away, but the fingers kept tickling her till she giggled in spite of herself.
“Why so sad, mo ghrá’?”, Dwyn’s voice whispered against her neck, “I just wanted to see if you really loved me as much as you say.”
Celeste twisted her shoulders around and punched him playfully, “How could you do that!”
“Easy”, Dwyn smiled at her, “I’m a trickster, Celeste. We’re a rare breed. You’ll get to meet Coyote and Raven at the wedding, and if they consent to come, quite a few others from Africa and India. We play tricks to teach people, protect nature and to discover truth.”
She tried to turn the rest of her body, but he kept her pinned, “And we tricksters play pranks to get mortals to conform to our will. Such as no more men’s shoes in my forest.”, he put his fingers through them and tickled her feet till she was red faced, continuing I to torture her toes and soles as he spoke with a mock serious voice, perfectly repeating his earlier words “there is one thing I cannot abide”…he mimicked, pulling off her shoes and tossing them in the air where they simply disappeared. “We’ve talked about this before.”, his fingers now brazenly tickling her body into frenzy so that she was crying.
He sped up until he surpassed even the vaimpír’s speed, winking at her as did so, “Vaimpírs aren’t the only ones who can moves so fast, mo ghrá’.”
Then moving his hands in a more leisurely across her breasts and down her body, he pressed his palm against her clit, making her gasp, “You will not need mortal lovers to explore these types of desires.”, he lifted her until she was floating in the air in front of him, her hips grinding against his, her legs around his waist. He lifted her arms, his hands squeezing hers with interlocked fingers, and the liquid light began to glow between their palms, turning her body into a vision of Celtic goddess, He let go of her hands and moved his in rhythm to a song only they could hear, “You will not need to sneak around to dance,” whispered, his voice husky as he spun them both until they rose high above the tree tops, the light now blinding. He kissed her neck, sending her body shivering and both of them soaring higher still, “or to embrace experiences…”, he leaned her back so she saw the world was far below, still spinning.
He then pulled her to him tightly, as they turned horizontal and flew across the night sky, “But you do them without me, and queen or not, you will pay.”, he smirked down at her.
“Then, I’ll just have to find ways to…”,Celeste began…
He gripped her hard then, squeezing in just the right spot to wind her laughter towards new heights, and both of them spinning through the starlight sky, , "Do pléisiúir, do ghrá agus do gáire mianach!", he kissed her passionately, then for added emphasis, he translated, but she knew by now what it meant, “Your pleasure, your love and your laughter are mine!”, and she was only to thrilled to give them to him…
Mortals and immortals below pointed to celestial event that night, and made their own wishes of love on the shooting star…